WED-115 - The Mastery Lifestyle Intervention Program for Pregnant African American and Latina Women

Brief Abstract Summary: Gain insight into the Mastery Lifestyle Intervention (MLI), a culturally tailored, evidence-based program designed to improve mental health outcomes among pregnant African American and Latina women. This presentation will detail the structure and impact of MLI, a six-week psychosocial group intervention integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Problem-Solving Therapy and Mindfulness, delivered alongside regular prenatal care. Attendees will: 1.) learn significant preliminary results, including reductions in depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress, and improvements in coping; 2.) Recognize how MLI leverages psychological flexibility and acculturation to foster resilience, moderated by neuroendocrine factors, potentially enhancing birth outcomes and 3.) Discover the broader implications of MLI for integrating psychosocial support within prenatal care to address unique needs in underserved populations, supporting maternal and infant health through a comprehensive approach.

Detailed abstract description: Attendees will gain insights into the Mastery Lifestyle Intervention (MLI), a culturally relevant, six-week program designed to support mental health among African American and Latina pregnant women. Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Problem-Solving Therapy (PST), and Mindfulness, MLI aims to reduce depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress while enhancing adaptive coping. Conducted in a group format with structured activities, MLI fosters social support and community-building, creating a safe space for minority women to connect and grow.
This presentation covers the intervention's structure and promising preliminary findings, showing reductions in depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress levels, assessed via CES-D, GAD-7, and PSS scales. These early results support MLI’s impact on mental health within underserved populations, backed by statistically significant effect sizes.
In addition to psychological benefits, MLI’s potential to influence neuroendocrine factors progesterone, and estriol levels is explored. Preliminary data indicate that participants may experience improved hormonal profiles, potentially contributing to longer gestational age, healthier birth weights, and reduced NICU admissions. This comprehensive approach highlights how stress-reduction interventions in pregnancy can promote maternal and infant health. Public health practitioners, program planners, and researchers will learn about MLI’s design, including hypothesis development, participant engagement, and outcome assessment. The presentation will explore how combining behavioral therapies with prenatal care can create a holistic, patient centered approach, addressing both mental health and prenatal physical needs. Attendees will gain insight into the practical aspects of delivering MLI, such as overcoming barriers to participation, refining program materials, and enhancing accessibility through a web-based format. Attendees will recognize the importance of culturally tailored, group based mental health interventions in prenatal care, understand how psychological well-being can influence physiological factors linked to healthier birth outcomes, and learn practical, data-driven strategies for integrating and evaluating psychosocial support within healthcare systems. The session highlights MLI as a potentially scalable model to reduce disparities and promote lasting improvements in maternal and infant health across diverse communities.