Preventing Perinatal Anxiety: Testing an Internet-delivered Intervention

P-POD contains ten interactive and didactic modules lasting approximately 30 minutes each. Seven mother-directed modules are designed to educate pregnant women about perinatal anxiety (psychoeducation), teach women to change their thinking patterns (cognitive restructuring), and guide women through testing their dysfunctional beliefs and fears (behavioral experiments). Each of these modules engage the pregnant woman in various self-guided exercises to consolidate the lessons learned. In addition, three partner-directed modules are designed to educate partners about perinatal anxiety, coach partners on providing emotional and social supports to pregnant women at risk for perinatal anxiety, and prepare partners for developmentally normative changes in their relationships following birth. Modules are designed to be completed weekly during the second trimester.

ANX-ED educates women and their partners about seven anxiety and related disorders. ANX-ED contains ten interactive and didactic modules lasting approximately 30 minutes each. Seven mother-directed modules and three partner-directed modules will educate participants about generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Specifically, modules will include the diagnostic criteria, prevalence, and etiology of the disorders. They will also include animated examples of mothers experiencing the disorders described in each module. Each module engages the pregnant woman (or partner) in various self-guided exercises to consolidate the material learned.