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Occupational therapy eases emotional strain of high-risk pregnancies, study finds
Occupational therapy can ease anxiety and emotional strain for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies, with cognitive-based techniques found to be most effective, new research has revealed.
Joint research from Edith Cowan University and the University of St Augustine for Health Sciences reviewed a range of psychosocial occupational therapy approaches and found that cognitive-based interventions had the strongest impact on managing perinatal anxiety, depression and stress.
The review examined several therapy types, including cognitive-based, counselling-based, sensory-based, emotion-based and integrated approaches.
Dr Thuy Tran is occupational therapy lecturer at Edith Cowan University’s School of Medical and Health Sciences.
The researcher said: “There is a lot of research evidence that reveals high-risk pregnancies result in increased levels of anxiety, stress, depression and a reduced quality of life.
“And while research has been done on how psychosocial occupational therapy could assist in those areas, there was no evidence which method was most effective.”
Around one in five women experience high-risk pregnancies requiring specialised monitoring and care.
Such pregnancies — which may involve conditions like pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes or multiple births — often cause significant emotional distress, including fear, anxiety and uncertainty.
Occupational therapy helps people manage daily activities and life transitions through targeted interventions.
Psychosocial occupational therapy specifically addresses mental health and emotional wellbeing alongside functional support.
The researchers found that cognitive-based interventions were most effective for managing perinatal anxiety, depression and stress.
Counselling-based interventions had a moderate impact on anxiety, depression and quality of life, but a strong effect on reducing stress.
Sensory-based interventions appeared ineffective for anxiety, with limited evidence of impact on depression, stress or quality of life.
Lead author Dr Sabina Khan from the University of St Augustine for Health Sciences said the findings provide much-needed clarity about which approaches deliver the greatest benefit.
Khan said: “By identifying that cognitive-based and counselling-based interventions are the most effective in reducing anxiety, stress and depression, this research helps guide clinicians toward evidence-based practices that can meaningfully improve women’s wellbeing during a particularly vulnerable time.
“Women facing high-risk pregnancies frequently navigate fragmented systems.
“Embedding occupational therapy early helps close the gap between medical management and real-world function.”
Dr Tran said the research suggests practitioners should include cognitive-behavioural techniques in occupation-based sessions and place greater emphasis on emotional and cognitive assessment during the perinatal period.
The researcher said: “We need to have a holistic approach to working with clients to ensure that our strategies help them to function optimally.
“Whether this is in their new role as a mother, or their role as a mother to multiple children, or as a partner, or in their social role.”
The role of occupational therapists in women’s health is steadily growing in Australia.
Most practitioners work in private practice and are recognised as mental health care providers, making services accessible through mental health care plans, enhanced primary care plans or self-referral.
While some hospitals already employ occupational therapists in this field, there are calls for this to become standard care nationwide.
Dr Tran urged pregnant women, particularly those experiencing high-risk pregnancies, to seek intervention early.
Dr Tran said: “Pregnancy is such an intense phase, with women experiencing significant emotional, psychological and physical changes in their bodies, all while their social and work roles are also transitioning.
“A lot of focus is placed on the baby, but we don’t really talk about the emotional wellbeing of the mother and the transition from one role to the next.
“Having an occupational therapist can provide you with strategies to help that transition.”
Pregnant women’s expectations about postpartum sleep may predict sleep quality after birth, outweighing prior sleep and psychiatric history, a study suggests.
The findings suggest attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy could be a modifiable risk factor for postpartum sleep concerns.
They also indicate that, among women expecting the poorest sleep, higher postpartum anxiety may further worsen sleep quality.
Sammy Dhaliwal, lead author is clinical health psychologist and research fellow in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dhaliwal said: “Most pregnant women in our sample anticipated poor postpartum sleep before it occurred, and it was striking that those expectations predicted worse sleep outcomes even after accounting for factors such as prior sleep disorders, psychiatric history, and number of previous births.
“This suggests that attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy may represent a modifiable target for early intervention before postpartum sleep problems emerge.”
Sleep disturbance affects an estimated 60 to 80 per cent of postpartum women and is linked to a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Researchers said it is often regarded as an expected part of life after childbirth rather than a health issue that may be addressed earlier.
The study enrolled 432 pregnant women at about 24 weeks of gestation, meaning around 24 weeks into pregnancy.
Participants completed measures of their expectations about postpartum sleep, current sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and mood using validated depression and anxiety scales.
Assessments were repeated at six, 12 and 24 weeks postpartum.
A subset of 49 women also wore wrist actigraphy devices at six to eight weeks postpartum.
Actigraphy uses a wearable device, similar to a watch, to estimate sleep and wake patterns based on movement.
The results showed that 70 per cent of pregnant women, or 301 of 432 participants, expected poor sleep in the postpartum period.
Researchers found that predicted sleep disruption during pregnancy was a significant predictor of postpartum sleep concerns.
Among first-time pregnant women without prior health concerns, those who expected greater sleep disturbance had significantly more disrupted sleep after birth, measured by both actigraphy and self-report.
Among women who expected the worst sleep quality, higher postpartum anxiety significantly worsened both measured sleep and self-reported sleep, independent of anxiety levels during pregnancy.
Dhaliwal said the findings point to two possible areas for intervention: addressing sleep-related beliefs during pregnancy and treating postpartum anxiety.
Dhaliwal said: “Postpartum sleep disruption is often treated only after problems develop, but our findings suggest there may be an opportunity to intervene earlier during pregnancy.
“Addressing sleep-related beliefs and postpartum anxiety during prenatal and postpartum care may help improve sleep and emotional well-being in new mothers.”
A weight loss jab may improve fertility outcomes in women with PMOS, early findings from an ongoing clinical trial suggest.
The proof-of-concept analysis found that injectable semaglutide may offer reproductive benefits while also addressing obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
It is the first report to examine how injectable semaglutide may improve reproductive outcomes in women with PMOS while also addressing obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
The work forms part of the ongoing RESTORE clinical trial.
Melanie Cree, professor at CU Anschutz and first author of the report, said: “Women with PMOS frequently face a frustrating choice between treatments that target reproductive symptoms and those that address metabolic health.
“Our early findings suggest injectable semaglutide may have the potential to improve both, offering a more comprehensive approach to care.
“This medication is incredibly promising when someone responds with 10 per cent weight loss.”
The trial is examining whether semaglutide can restore ovulation and improve reproductive health in adolescents and adults with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, known as PMOS.
PMOS, formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, is a hormone and metabolic condition linked to irregular periods, raised testosterone levels, infertility risk, obesity and increased cardiometabolic disease.
Cardiometabolic disease refers to conditions linked to the heart and metabolism, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Existing treatments, including metformin and hormonal contraceptives, often do not fully address reproductive and metabolic complications at the same time.
The analysis focused on participants aged 12 to 35 who lost at least 10 per cent of their body weight during treatment.
Researchers said reproductive improvements appeared earlier than expected, prompting them to report preliminary findings while the wider study continues.
Cree is also a paediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Endocrinologists are doctors who specialise in hormones and hormone-related conditions.
Cree said: “What makes this work particularly important is that it focuses specifically on women with PMOS receiving injectable semaglutide.
“Although GLP-1 medications have transformed obesity treatment, there remains a significant need for rigorous data examining how these therapies affect fertility and reproductive function in this population.”
The RESTORE study is evaluating semaglutide treatment in girls and women with PMOS and obesity.
Its broader aim is to determine whether weight loss and metabolic improvements can restore ovulation and improve reproductive outcomes.
Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary, a key part of the menstrual cycle and fertility.
The authors said the findings are from an early proof-of-concept analysis and that larger, longer-term studies will be needed to confirm whether the reproductive benefits last.
The findings suggest injectable semaglutide may become a treatment option for women with PMOS seeking improvements in both metabolic and reproductive health, if future studies confirm the results.
Entrepreneur
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 opens pitch applications for mainstage showcase at The Emirates Stadium
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 has opened applications for its flagship start-up Pitches, giving women’s health innovators the chance to present on the mainstage at The Emirates Stadium in London on 7-8 October.
16 finalists will be selected across two categories: Medical Devices & Therapeutics and Consumer & Tech, with the shortlisted companies receiving the opportunity to pitch in front of 700+ investors, corporates, other innovators and strategic partners actively seeking solutions that can scale.
Two categories, one stage
The Medical Devices & Therapeutics category is open to companies working across medical devices, therapeutics and pharma innovation, regulated digital health, and deep-tech or science-led platforms.
The Consumer & Tech category covers consumer health and wellness brands, digital health platforms, wearables and connected data, employer and payor-led solutions, and commerce and marketplace businesses.
Any company treating a condition that affects women exclusively, differently, or disproportionately is eligible to apply.
Applications are completely free, so what do you have to lose?
Apply to pitch at WHW Europe 2026 now.
What’s in it for you?
Unmatched exposure
Present in front of 700+ investors, corporates, clinicians, and strategic partners actively seeking solutions that can scale.
With WHW Europe 2026 relocating to The Emirates Stadium and expanding to 700+ attendees across two stages, the 2026 edition represents the largest platform the series has offered to date.
A proven platform
The WHW Pitch Sessions have become one of the most commercially significant showcases in women’s health, with previous cohorts including companies that have gone on to raise investment and secure major strategic partnerships. 2024 alumni BoobyBiome, closed a £2.5M seed round in the year following their pitch at WHW Europe.
The Watchlist
All registered applicants will have the opportunity to be featured in The Watchlist, WHW Europe’s official directory of women’s health innovators to know, giving companies visibility beyond the pitch stage itself.
Applications close 28 August 2026.
Find out more about WHW Europe.
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