Galhardo, A., Cunha, M., & Pinto-Gouveia, J. (2019). A seven-year follow-up study of the Mindfulness Based Program for Infertility: Are there long term effects? Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 26(4), 409-417. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2362
The Mindfulness Based Program for Infertility (MBPI) was developed for people facing infertility and proved effective in cultivating mindfulness skills, improving infertility self‐efficacy and decreasing depression, shame, entrapment and defeat feelings. Fifty‐five women attended the MBPI sessions and completed self‐report measures of depression, anxiety, mindfulness and experiential avoidance at post‐MBPI (T1), six‐months follow‐up (T2) and seven‐year follow‐up (T3). There were significant direct time effects regarding experiential avoidance (F = 3.81; p < .033; Ƞp² = .08), the mindfulness facets describing (F = 3.54; p = .037; Ƞp² = .13), acting with awareness (F = 6.87; p = .002; Ƞp² = .22), non‐judging of inner experience (F = 10.66; p < .001; Ƞp² = .31), and depressive symptoms (F = 4.85; p = .020; Ƞp² = .10). There was an increase in the describing facet from T1 to T3 (p = .036). The act with awareness facet increased from T1 to T2 (p = .010) and from T1 to T3 (p = .007), as well as the non‐judging of inner experience facet [T1 to T2 (p = .030) and T1 to T3 (p = .002)]. Experiential avoidance decreased from T1 to T3 (p = .022) and depressive symptoms from T1 to T2 (p = .019). Post‐MBPI scores were maintained at T2 and T3 concerning anxiety symptoms and the observing and no‐reactivity mindfulness facets. There were long term effects of MBPI on mindfulness and experiential avoidance. Moreover, therapeutic gains were maintained regarding depression and anxiety symptoms, independently of the reproductive outcome.