Guided Imagery: Reducing Stress and Improving Well-being in Pregnant Adolescents

Guided Imagery: Reducing Stress and Improving Well-being in Pregnant Adolescents

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a guided imagery intervention on perceived stress in pregnant adolescents.

Pregnant adolescents attending a local alternative education program will be subjects of this study. Students will participate in four, 15 minute guided imagery sessions over about a 4-6 week period. They will complete a pregnancy specific stress questionnaire before beginning and after completion of the guided imagery protocol. The students will also complete a short 9-question stress measure before and after each of the individual guided imagery sessions.

The specific aims are:

1. to evaluate whether a guided imagery intervention reduces perceived stress in pregnant adolescents; and
2. to evaluate whether a guided imagery intervention enhances well-being in pregnant adolescents.

The hypotheses are that the intervention will reduce perceived stress and enhance well-being in these subjects. The purpose of this study is to assess whether employing a guided imagery intervention with pregnant teens and education will reduce perceived stress levels and improve well-being.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All pregnant students ages 13-21 enrolled in the alternative education program for parenting teens were eligible to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants were excluded from the study if they delivered their babies prior to completing four sessions of guided imagery intervention.