Prenatal Haptonomy-Based Support for Attachment and Partner Support

ConditionsMaternal-Fetal Attachment Perceived Partner Support Haptonomy

Trial statusNot yet recruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexFemale

Age18-45

SponsorHilal Özbek

About this trial

This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial to be conducted among pregnant women attending the antenatal outpatient clinic of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital who meet the inclusion criteria. Data will be collected between April 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027.

Eligible participants will be informed about the study objectives, procedures, potential benefits and risks, and voluntary participation principles. Written informed consent will be obtained prior to enrollment. Participant confidentiality will be ensured in accordance with data protection regulations, and unique identification codes will be assigned.

At baseline (T0), participants will complete the Personal Information Form, Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI), and Spousal Support Scale (SSS). Following baseline assessment, participants will be randomly allocated into one of three groups:

Partner-supported haptonomy group Mother-supported haptonomy group Midwife-supported haptonomy group The haptonomy-based intervention will be delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks in a hospital-based setting. Each session will last approximately 30 minutes and will follow a standardized protocol including structured affective touch, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. All sessions will be conducted by a research assistant who completed the Prenatal Haptonomy Instructor Training (January 29-31, 2026). The principal investigator will supervise and monitor the scientific integrity of the study.

Outcome assessments will be conducted at three time points:

T0 (Baseline): Prior to intervention T1 (Post-session 1): 24-48 hours after the first haptonomy session T2 (Post-intervention): 24-48 hours after the third haptonomy session The Prenatal Attachment Inventory and Spousal Support Scale will be re-administered at T1 and T2. Data completeness will be checked after each assessment.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Pregnant women aged 18-45 years

Attending antenatal follow-up at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital

Gestational age between 20 and 32 weeks

Ability to communicate in Turkish

Disqualifiers

High-risk pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, placenta previa, gestational diabetes requiring insulin)

Diagnosed psychiatric disorder

Multiple pregnancy

Known fetal anomaly

Trial design

Design model

Single group

Treatments tested in this trial

Prenatal Haptonomy-Based Support
Behavioral
A structured haptonomy-based prenatal support intervention delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and is conducted with the participation of the pregnant woman's partner. The protocol includes affective touch facilitated by the partner, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. The intervention is conducted in a hospital setting.
Mother-Supported Haptonomy Group
Behavioral
A structured haptonomy-based prenatal support intervention delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and is conducted with the participation of the pregnant woman's mother. The protocol includes affective touch facilitated by the mother, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. The intervention is conducted in a hospital setting.
Midwife-Supported Haptonomy Group
Behavioral
A structured haptonomy-based prenatal support intervention delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and is conducted by a trained midwife. The protocol includes affective touch provided by the midwife, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. The intervention is conducted in a hospital setting.

Treatment groups

36 Participants

are divided into 3 treatment groups

Group A: Partner-Supported Haptonomy GroupExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group B: Mother-Supported Haptonomy GroupExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group C: Midwife-Supported Haptonomy GroupExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Prenatal Attachment

Change from baseline in prenatal attachment as measured by the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI). The Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI), developed by Mary Muller (1993), consists of 21 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Almost Never, 4 = Almost Always). Total scores range from 21 to 84. Higher scores indicate stronger prenatal attachment. There are no reverse-scored items. The scale is unidimensional and evaluated using total score.

Time frame

Baseline (T0), 24-48 hours after the first haptonomy session (T1), and 24-48 hours after the third haptonomy session (T2)

Secondary outcomes

Perceived Partner Support

Change from baseline in perceived partner support as measured by the Spouse Support Scale (SSS). The Spouse Support Scale (SSS), developed by Yıldırım (2005), consists of 13 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Not appropriate at all, 5 = Completely appropriate). Total scores range from 13 to 65. Higher total scores indicate higher perceived partner support. There are no reverse-scored items. The scale is evaluated using the total score.

Time frame

Baseline (T0), 24-48 hours after the first haptonomy session (T1), and 24-48 hours after the third haptonomy session (T2)

Locations

This trial has no locations.

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Hilal Özbek

Lead sponsor

Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University

Sponsor institution

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: