The impact of hopefostering counseling on psychological well-being in postabortion primigravida mothers: a quasi-experimental study

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a hope-fostering counseling program on psychological well-being and hope levels among postaborted primigravida mothers. Design/methodology/approach A one-group repeated-measures quasi-experimental design was carried out across two major healthcare institutions. A total of eight primigravida mothers who had postabortion experiences were recruited for the study. Participants diagnosed with incomplete or missed abortions and exhibiting low levels of psychological well-being or hope were invited to join. The intervention was adapted based on Snyder Hope’s theory and consisted of six personalized counseling sessions over six weeks during the postabortion period. Psychological well-being and hope levels were assessed at three points: at baseline during recruitment, at the third counseling session and after the sixth counseling session. Findings The Friedman Test for the psychological well-being and hope levels scores was conducted (χ² = 16.00, p < 0.001). The results show a significant improvement in psychological well-being and hope levels among postabortion primigravida mothers after they attended the hope-fostering counseling program. Practical implications This study contributes to the importance of mental health care for postabortion mothers and suggests that the counseling program had a clinically meaningful impact on participants’ psychological well-being and hope levels. Originality/value This study introduces empirical evidence for the effectiveness of including mental health issues in the planning of care for postabortion mothers. Further studies are recommended to increase sample size and to include a more diverse range of medical backgrounds.