Integrating Psychoreligious Interventions to Address Psychosocial Distress in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review of Clinical and Community-Based Evidence (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Pregnancy is a crucial period marked by significant physiological, psychological, and social changes. Many pregnant women experience stress, anxiety, and psychosomatic disorders that adversely affect the health of both the mother and the fetus. Psychoreligious interventions, which are based on spiritual and religious values, have emerged as a non-pharmacological alternative to address psychosocial issues during pregnancy OBJECTIVE To synthesize the latest scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of psychoreligious interventions in managing psychosocial issues in pregnant women METHODS This systematic review follows the PRISMA guidelines and includes article searches from five major databases (PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library). Studies that met the inclusion criteria (pregnant women population, psychoreligious interventions, RCT/non-RCT/qualitative designs) were analyzed narratively, and their methodological quality was evaluated using RoB 2, ROBINS-I, and CASP. RESULTS Seven studies from Indonesia and Iran were analyzed, showing that interventions such as dhikr (remembrance of Allah), prayer, spiritual counseling, and recitation of sacred verses helped reduce stress and anxiety, and improved maternal-fetal attachment and spiritual well-being. The effectiveness of these interventions was influenced by cultural appropriateness, participant engagement, and social support. CONCLUSIONS Psychoreligious approaches show potential as an effective and safe strategy in supporting the mental health of pregnant women, especially in religious communities. Further research with stronger methodologies is needed to strengthen the generalization of these results