Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of elevated depression and anxiety among pregnant women and to examine its correlation with medical complications and socio-demographic characteristics.
Methods: The study is based on a cross-sectional design of a sample of 348 women in three trimesters of pregnancy who received routine obstetrical care at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The responding women filled out a questionnaire on socio-demographic variables, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale CES-D and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI.
Results: 21.7% of pregnant women were identified as suffering from elevated depression symptomatology, 15.7% reported high state anxiety and 12.5% had high trait anxiety. No significant differences in depression and anxiety across pregnancy trimesters were found. The women who have suffered from health complications during previous pregnancies showed higher state anxiety; those experiencing complications during their current pregnancy reported more intense symptoms of depression and of state and trait anxiety than women free of complications. Less educated, lower income and mothers of many children in the third pregnancy trimester reported more intensive symptoms of depression and trait anxiety.
Conclusions: Elevated depression and anxiety are frequent among pregnant women. The results draw attention to the need for early detection and treatment of depression and anxiety during pregnancy.
Namen: Cilj raziskave je bil oceniti prevalenco povišane depresivne in anksiozne simptomatike pri ženskah med nosečnostjo ter preveriti njun odnos z zdravstvenimi zapleti in nekaterimi sociodemografskimi dejavniki.
Metode: V presečno raziskavo je bilo vključenih 348 nosečnic treh trimesečij nosečnosti, ki so se v okviru Ginekološke klinike Univerzitetnega kliničnega centra v Ljubljani udeležile rednih pregledov. Nosečnice so izpolnile vprašalnik demografskih spremenljivk, Lestvico depresivnosti CES-D ter Vprašalnik anksioznosti kot stanja in poteze STAI.
Rezultati: 21,7 % udeleženk je poročalo o pomembno povišani depresivni simptomatiki, 15,7 % jih je navajalo visoko anksioznost kot stanje, visoka anksioznost kot poteza je bila prepoznana pri 12,5 % nosečnic. Med nosečnicami treh trimesečij nosečnosti ni bilo pomembnih razlik v izraženosti depresivne in anksiozne simptomatike. Ženske z zdravstvenimi zapleti v preteklih nosečnostih so poročale o pomembno intenzivnejših simptomih anksioznosti kot stanja, tiste z zapleti v trenutni nosečnosti pa o pomembno intenzivnejši depresivni simptomatiki ter anksioznosti kot stanju in potezi v primerjavi z ženskami brez zdravstvenih zapletov. Udeleženke z nižjo stopnjo izobrazbe in nižjimi prihodki ter nosečnice tretjega trimesečja z večjim številom otrok so poročale o intenzivnejši depresivni simptomatiki in anksioznosti kot potezi.
Zaključek: Povišana depresivna simptomatika in anksioznost sta pogost in razširjen problem žensk med nosečnostjo. Rezultati opozarjajo na potrebo po zgodnjem odkrivanju ter zdravljenju depresivnih in anksioznih motenj v nosečnosti.
Keywords: anxiety; depression; pregnancy; prevalence.