EFFICACY OF A CULTURALLY-ADAPTED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) IN REDUCING PERCEIVED PREGNANCY STRESS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Pregnancy is often a period of significant psychological stress, which is associated with adverse maternal and infant outcomes. In resource-limited settings like Nigeria, the integration of effective, low-cost psychological interventions into prenatal care is crucial. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based intervention for stress, but its efficacy among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa remains underexplored. This study assessed the efficacy of a culturallyadapted CBT intervention in reducing perceived pregnancy stress among pregnant women in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A true experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed. Thirty pregnant women with high stress scores (27-40 on the Pregnancy Stress Scale) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=15) or a control group (n=15). The experimental group received an 8-week, culturally-adapted CBT intervention, while the control group received no intervention. Perceived stress was measured before and after intervention. The inclusion criteria include pregnant women in their second or third trimester (to ensure sufficient exposure to pregnancy-related stressors and must be 18 years or older. Ethical approvals were gotten from Federal Teaching Hospital Ido Ekiti and Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency. An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for baseline stress, revealed a statistically significant effect of the intervention on post-test stress scores, F(1, 27) = 651.66, p < .001, with a very large effect size (partial η² = .96). Participants in the CBT group reported significantly lower adjusted mean stress scores (M = 11.76) compared to the control group (M = 30.51). A culturallyadapted CBT intervention was associated with large reduction in perceived stress among pregnant women in Nigeria. The findings support the integration of structured, culturally sensitive psychological interventions into routine antenatal care to improve maternal mental health outcomes.