Reaching Calm: A Digital Intervention to Prevent Perinatal Anxiety Disorders
Key facts
- Who runs it
- University of Massachusetts, Worcester
- Where
- Leominster, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 60 people, planned
- Started
- 15 Aug 2026
- Expected to end
- 31 Aug 2029
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Digital mental health intervention
- Record updated
- 17 September 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 12 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Receiving prenatal care at participating obstetric practice
- Endorsed mild to moderate anxiety (GAD-7 score 5-15)
- Currently pregnant (gestational age <32)
- Started Reaching Calm digital intervention, if in intervention group
Who cannot take part
- Not pregnant
- Unable to participate in 60-minute interview
- Unwilling to be audio recorded
- GAD-7 <5, or GAD-7≥15
- Adults unable to consent (adults lacking capacity)
- Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
- Prisoners
- Non-English-speaking
Where in United States
- UMass Memorial Medical Group - Montachusett Women's HealthLeominster, United StatesContact: Carolyn Friedhoff AlvarezTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if a digital program called Reaching Calm can help prevent anxiety in women who are pregnant. The study will offer Reaching Calm at obstetric practices where participants receive prenatal care. The study focuses on people who may be at greater risk for experiencing anxiety during or after pregnancy. The main questions this study aims to answer are:
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* Is Reaching Calm easy to use and acceptable to both participants and healthcare professionals? * Does Reaching Calm help reduce risk for anxiety among participants? * Does personalizing the digital program help participants stay involved? Researchers will compare obstetric practices that offer Reaching Calm to those providing usual care.
Participants will:
* Receive text messages and use a web-based platform for learning about anxiety and coping strategies * Respond to surveys about their experiences and symptoms * Some will take part in interviews and focus groups to share their views * Healthcare professionals will receive training on how to support the program The study will monitor how many people join, stay involved, and how the program affects their well-being. The results will help prepare for a larger study that could lead to wider use of Reaching Calm across the country.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Reaching CalmTreatment being tested
Reaching Calm is a a multicomponent digital intervention to prevent perinatal anxiety in OB settings including a 1) digital Anxiety Sensitivity Intervention with text messages and web-based interface, 2) OB professional training, and 3) implementation protocol to integrate anxiety prevention into the OB workflow.
Treatment: Digital mental health intervention
- Prenatal care continues as usualNo study treatment, for comparison
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Reaching Calm Pilot (K23)
- Record updated
- 17 September 2026