Around 7% of pregnant women suffer from blood- and injection phobia. The aim was to investigate if cognitive behavior group
therapy (CBT) is effective in treating pregnant women’s blood- and injection phobia. Thirty pregnant women with blood- and
injection phobia according to DSM-IV took part in an open treatment intervention. A two-session cognitive behavior group therapy
was conducted. As controls, 46 pregnant women with untreated blood- and injection phobia and 70 healthy pregnant women were
used. Repeated measures ANOVA were performed. The scores for the CBT treatment group on the “Injection Phobia Scale-Anxiety”
were reduced both after each treatment session and postpartum (p < 0.001). Anxiety and depressive symptoms were also reduced (p < 0.001). Cognitive-behavior group therapy for pregnant women with blood- and injection phobia is effective and stable up
to at least 3 months postpartum. It seems also to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.
Keywords Anxiety - Blood- and injection phobia - Cognitive behavior group therapy - Depression - Pregnancy