Mandala Coloring in Late Pregnancy

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Mandala Coloring Group: Participants color two ready-made mandala templates per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions in total, approximately 20-30 minutes each) at home, at a time convenient for them, in a calm and quiet setting. Each participant receives a set of 7-color felt-tip pens and 16 mandala templates of her choice, together with a standard verbal and written briefing on the purpose, duration, session frequency and materials of the intervention. Adherence is monitored through a message sent to the researcher before each session and a photograph of the completed mandala sent afterwards; regular reminder messages are sent throughout the intervention.

Study summary

Anxiety, depression and poor sleep are common in the last months of pregnancy and often occur together. Medication options during pregnancy are limited, so simple, safe non-drug methods are needed. Mandala coloring is an art therapy technique in which a person colors circular patterns; it helps focus attention on the present moment and may have a calming effect.

This randomized controlled trial will examine whether mandala coloring during the third trimester reduces depression, anxiety and stress, improves sleep, and reduces fear of childbirth. It will also look at birth outcomes and the childbirth experience. Pregnant women at 28 weeks of gestation who attend the obstetrics outpatient clinics of Malatya Training and Research Hospital will be randomly assigned to a mandala coloring group or a control group. Women in the mandala group will color two mandalas a week at home for 8 weeks (16 mandalas in total, about 20-30 minutes per session). Women in the control group will receive routine antenatal care only and will be offered the mandala materials after the study ends.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in Depression Score (DASS-21 Depression Subscale) — aseline (28 weeks of gestation) and after the 8-week intervention (36 weeks of gestation)
  Depression will be assessed with the depression subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The subscale consists of 7 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale (0-3); the subscale score is multiplied by two, giving a range of 0 to 42. Higher scores indicate more severe depression.

Trial sites (1)

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