Biological Mechanisms in Pregnant Women With Anxiety (Happy Mother-Healthy Baby Supplement Study): Protocol for a Longitudinal Mixed Methods Observational Study

Background Anxiety and depression are common in the perinatal period and negatively affect the health of the mother and baby. Our group has developed “Happy Mother-Healthy Baby” (HMHB), a cognitive behavioral therapy–based psychosocial intervention to address risk factors specific to anxiety during pregnancy in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Objective The purpose of this study is to examine biological mechanisms that may be linked to perinatal anxiety in conjunction with a randomized controlled trial of HMHB in Pakistan. Methods We are recruiting 120 pregnant women from the Holy Family Hospital, a public facility in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Participants are assessed for at least mild anxiety symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (ie, a score ≥8 on the anxiety scale is necessary for inclusion in the anxiety groups and <8 for inclusion in the healthy control group). Women who meet the criteria for an anxiety group are randomized into either the HMHB intervention group or an enhanced usual care (EUC) control group. Participants receive HMHB or EUC throughout pregnancy and undergo blood draws at 4 time points (baseline, second trimester, third trimester, and 6 weeks post partum). We will assess peripheral cytokine concentrations using a multiplex assay and hormone concentrations using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The statistical analysis will use generalized linear models and mixed effects models to assess the relationships across time among anxiety, immune dysregulation, and hormone levels, and to assess whether these biological factors mediate the relationship between anxiety and birth and child development outcomes. Results Recruitment started on October 20, 2020, and data collection was completed on August 31, 2022. The start date for recruitment for this biological supplement study was delayed by approximately half a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03880032) on September 22, 2020. The last blood samples were shipped to the United States on September 24, 2022, where they will be processed for analysis. Conclusions This study is an important addition to the HMHB randomized controlled trial of an intervention for antenatal anxiety. The intervention itself makes use of nonspecialist providers and, if effective, will represent an important new tool for the treatment of antenatal anxiety in LMICs. Our biological substudy is one of the first attempts to link biological mechanisms to antenatal anxiety in an LMIC in the context of a psychosocial intervention, and our findings have the potential to significantly advance our knowledge of the biological pathways of perinatal mental illness and treatment efficacy. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03880032; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03880032 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/43193