Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26659113›Full record

Trial reportChild psychiatry and human development2016

Improving Maternal Mental Health Following Preterm Birth Using an Expressive Writing Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Antje Horsch, Jean-François Tolsa, Leah Gilbert, Lauranne Jan du Chêne, Carole Müller-Nix, Myriam Bickle Graz

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Child psychiatry and human development, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  11. A Compassion-Focused Approach to Support Parents After Preterm Birth.Clinical child and family psychology review · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Antje HorschClinic of Neonatology, University Hospital Lausanne, Avenue Pierre-Decker 2, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland. antje.horsch@chuv.ch.
Jean-François TolsaClinic of Neonatology, University Hospital Lausanne, Avenue Pierre-Decker 2, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Leah GilbertClinic of Neonatology, University Hospital Lausanne, Avenue Pierre-Decker 2, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Lauranne Jan du ChêneClinic of Neonatology, University Hospital Lausanne, Avenue Pierre-Decker 2, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Carole Müller-NixDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Myriam Bickle GrazClinic of Neonatology, University Hospital Lausanne, Avenue Pierre-Decker 2, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Evaluations of evidence-based, easily accessible, psychological interventions to improve maternal mental health following very preterm birth are scarce. This study investigated the efficacy and acceptability of the expressive writing paradigm for mothers of very preterm infants. The level of maternal posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms was the primary outcome. Participants were 67 mothers of very preterm babies who were randomly allocated into the intervention (expressive writing; n = 33) or control group (treatment-as-usual; n = 32) when their infant was aged 3 months (corrected age, CA). Measurements were taken at 3 months (pre-intervention), 4 months (post-intervention), and 6 months CA (follow-up). Results showed reduced maternal posttraumatic stress (d = 0.42), depressive symptoms (d = 0.67), and an improved mental health status (d = 1.20) in the intervention group, which were maintained at follow-up. Expressive writing is a brief, cost-effective, and acceptable therapeutic approach that could be offered as part of the NICU care.

Indexed as

DepressionInfant, Extremely PrematureStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticAdultFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornMaleMental HealthMothersNarrative TherapyPregnancyPremature BirthPsychological TechniquesTreatment OutcomeExpressive writingInterventionMaternal mental healthNICUPremature

Identifiers

PMID26659113

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.