Guided Imagery for Nausea and Well-Being in Pregnant Women (GI-PREG)

April 19, 2026 updated by: Tuba Enise BENLI, Inonu University

The Effect of a Guided Imagery-Based Psychoeducational Intervention on Nausea, Vomiting, and Psychological Well-Being in Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aims to evaluate the effect of a guided imagery-based psychoeducational intervention on nausea and vomiting severity and psychological well-being in pregnant women. The intervention includes structured psychoeducation and guided imagery sessions designed to promote relaxation, enhance symptom management, and improve overall well-being. Pregnant women in the first trimester experiencing nausea and vomiting were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group received a four-session guided imagery-based psychoeducation program supported by home-based audio practice, while the control group received routine antenatal care. Outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention using standardized measurement tools.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This randomized controlled study was conducted to determine the effect of a guided imagery-based psychoeducational intervention on nausea and vomiting severity and psychological well-being in pregnant women. The study included pregnant women in their first trimester who were experiencing nausea and vomiting and met the inclusion criteria.

Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group received a structured psychoeducational program based on guided imagery techniques. The program consisted of four face-to-face sessions, each lasting approximately 20-25 minutes. The first session included information about the relationship between nausea, vomiting, and psychological processes, as well as an introduction to guided imagery. Participants were also provided with an audio recording to support daily home practice. In subsequent sessions, guided imagery techniques were applied to reduce nausea symptoms, enhance relaxation, and promote psychological well-being. Participants were encouraged to practice the technique regularly and especially during episodes of nausea.

The control group received routine antenatal care without any additional intervention. Data were collected from both groups before and after the intervention using standardized instruments, including the Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE) scale and a psychological well-being scale.

The study was retrospectively registered. Ethical approval was obtained from the Inonu University Health Sciences Scientific Research Ethics Committee (Approval No: 2024/5747).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

106

Phase

  • 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

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being 18 years of age or older
  • Being in the first trimester of pregnancy (≤14 weeks)
  • Experiencing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy
  • Having a singleton pregnancy
  • Being able to read and understand Turkish
  • Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a high-risk pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta previa)
  • Diagnosis of hyperemesis gravidarum
  • Having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder or receiving psychiatric treatment
  • Having a condition that may prevent participation in guided imagery (e.g., hearing or cognitive impairment)
  • Previous experience with guided imagery or similar psychological interventions

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: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental Group
Participants in this group received a guided imagery-based psychoeducational program consisting of four face-to-face sessions supported by daily home-based practice.
Behavioral: Guided Imagery-Based Psychoeducation
A structured psychoeducational program based on guided imagery techniques, consisting of four face-to-face sessions aimed at reducing nausea and vomiting symptoms and improving psychological well-being. Participants were instructed to practice guided imagery daily at home using standardized audio recordings.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants in this group received routine antenatal care without any additional intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Nausea and Vomiting Severity
Time Frame: Baseline and after completion of the 4-session intervention (approximately 2 weeks)
Nausea and vomiting severity will be assessed using the Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE) scale. Higher scores indicate greater severity of symptoms.
Baseline and after completion of the 4-session intervention (approximately 2 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Psychological Well-Being
Time Frame: Baseline and after completion of the intervention (approximately 2 weeks)
Psychological well-being will be evaluated using a standardized psychological well-being scale. Higher scores indicate better psychological well-being.
Baseline and after completion of the intervention (approximately 2 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Inonu University

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Tuba Enise Benli, Giresun University
  • Study Chair: Yeşim Aksoy Derya, Inonu University
  • Study Chair: Kader Atabey, Inonu University

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)

April 26, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 15, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

December 15, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 9, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 19, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • GI-NVP-2024-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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