The Effect of Psychodrama-Based Group Work

January 2, 2026 updated by: Ömer USLU

The Effect of Psychodrama-Based Group Work on Postpartum Women's Depression and Forgiveness Tendencies: A Randomised Controlled Study

Aims This study examined the effect of psychodrama-based group work on postpartum women's tendencies toward depression and forgiveness.

Methods This study used a pretest-posttest-follow-up randomised controlled experimental method. The study sample consisted of 23 postpartum mothers (11 experimental and 12 control) whose babies were receiving treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit between April and June 2025. While psychodrama-based group intervention was applied to the experimental group, no intervention was performed in the control group. Data were collected using a personal information form, Postnatal Depression Screening Scale, and Forgiveness Scale.

Results In the study, it was found that the mean forgiveness scores in the final test and follow-up measurements of the postpartum women in the experimental group were statistically significantly higher compared to the control group (p<0.05). In the final test and follow-up measurements, the mean postpartum depression scores of the women in the experimental group were found to be statistically significantly lower than those of the mothers in the control group (p<0.05).

Conclusions Psychodrama-based group work increased forgiveness tendencies and reduced depression levels in postpartum women. In this regard, it is recommended that psychodrama sessions be conducted for postpartum women.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The neonatal period is a critical stage of development in the first 28 days after birth, during which the baby adapts physiologically and biologically to the external environment. Owing to issues such as prematurity, low birth weight, congenital anomalies, and respiratory distress, some babies require advanced medical support, highlighting the vital importance of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). During this process, mothers experience intense psychological stress due to factors such as uncertainty about the baby's health, limited physical contact, a highly technological environment, and the postponement of maternal roles, which leads to the emergence of negative emotions, such as guilt, inadequacy, hopelessness, helplessness, and anxiety, thereby making the postpartum period more emotionally fragile. These negative emotions also weaken the psychological resilience of postpartum mothers and constitute a significant risk factor, especially for the development of postpartum depression. Studies in the literature indicate that mothers experiencing postpartum depression negatively affect their breastfeeding behaviors, adaptation to the postpartum period, ability to cope with challenges, quality of life, and overall mental, physical, and social health. The concept of forgiveness, which facilitates relief from pain and distress caused by intense negative emotions that intensify during the postpartum period, is defined as an important psychological component in overcoming depression, anxiety, relationship conflicts, and crises in a healthy manner. Forgiveness has been reported to make a significant contribution, particularly in reducing depressive symptoms. Forgiveness has been shown to have positive effects in alleviating psychological distress, protecting and improving health, and has been found to be beneficial in the treatment of various mental disorders. One such approach is psychodrama. Psychodrama has been used in the field of nursing since the 1960s and has found a place in clinical practice. Psychodrama is an effective and important psychotherapy method in terms of increasing peer support, finding a model for identification, experiencing positive relationships, seeing different approaches to relationships, and experiencing different roles. An increase in the number of psychiatric nurses with knowledge and skills in psychodrama will add a scientific and artistic dimension to the field of nursing, creating a special level of advancement in the quality of care provided by nurses through interactions with people. In this context, considering the critical role of women in shaping the future of society, this study evaluated the effects of a psychodrama-based group intervention aimed at supporting the psychological well-being of mothers during the postpartum period, reducing depressive symptoms, and strengthening tendencies toward forgiveness.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
23

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Bergama
      • Izmir, Bergama, Turkey (Türkiye), 35700
        • Bergama Necla Mithat Öztüre State Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18-55 years or (until menopause)
  • Having the mental capacity and sufficient communication skills to follow the research instructions, being literate.
  • Having an infant receiving treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a condition that impairs communication
  • Having a diagnosed mental illness.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: psychodrama-based group intervention
Participants will receive an 8-session psychodrama-based group intervention.
Other: psychodrama-based group intervention
For postpartum mothers in the experimental group, a psychodrama-based group intervention was carried out face-to-face, with one session per week, each lasting 120 minutes, for a total of 8 sessions (over 8 weeks).
Other: Control
no intervention was performed in the control group
No Intervention: Control
Throughout the study, the psychodrama-based group intervention was applied only to the experimental group, and no intervention was performed in the control group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postpartum Depression Screening Scale
Time Frame: Baseline (pretest), 8 weeks (posttest) and one month after the posttest
Evaluation of the change in the total score of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale. The minimum score obtained from the scale was 35, and the maximum score was 175. Higher scores indicate higher levels of postpartum depression.
Baseline (pretest), 8 weeks (posttest) and one month after the posttest

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The Forgiveness Scale
Time Frame: Baseline (pretest), 8 weeks (posttest) and one month after the posttest
Forgiveness Scale, developed by Ersanlı and Batık, designed to measure individuals' levels of self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others. The scale is scored from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree," with higher scores indicating higher levels of forgiveness.
Baseline (pretest), 8 weeks (posttest) and one month after the posttest

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Ömer USLU

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Merve Şahin, PhD, RN, Bergama Necla Mithat Öztüre State Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 2, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 29, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 13, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 13, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 26, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • MERVE-RCT-2025-PAD

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) from this study will not be shared due to ethical and institutional restrictions. The dataset includes sensitive health information from postpartum women, and the informed consent process did not include permission for public data sharing. Therefore, in accordance with privacy regulations and ethical committee requirements, IPD will not be made available to other researchers

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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