Abstract
Objective: Anxiety is common among pregnant women. However, research attention in the area of reproductive mental health has mainly focused on postpartum depression in past decades. Given adverse outcomes of antenatal anxiety, there is an urgent need to fill the research gaps. The objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalence of antenatal anxiety symptoms and examine the risk factors and effects of anxiety symptoms in early pregnancy on anxiety and depressive symptoms in later pregnancy and early postpartum period. Methodology: A prospective longitudinal design with quantitative approach was adopted. A consecutive sample of 1470 Chinese pregnant women from hospitals in Hong Kong was invited to participate in the study and was assessed using standardized instruments on 3 time points including first and third trimesters of pregnancy and 6-week postpartum. Results: The results showed that 17.7% of pregnant women manifested anxiety symptoms in the first trimester of pregnancy. Single mothers, younger mothers, mothers who smoked before pregnancy and mothers who received low education level reported significantly higher levels of anxiety symptoms in the first trimester. Unwanted pregnancy, low self esteem, low marital satisfaction and perceived low social support were significant psychosocial risk factors for anxiety symptoms in the first trimester. Anxiety symptoms in the first trimester were independent predictors for anxiety symptoms in the third trimester ( QUOTE β = 0.26, t = 5.74, p
Highlights
The transition to motherhood is a period of developmental challenge involving substantial changes and adjustments, both physiologically and psychologically
Research attention in the area of reproductive mental health has mainly focused on postpartum depression in past decades
The objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalence of antenatal anxiety symptoms and examine the risk factors and effects of anxiety symptoms in early pregnancy on anxiety and depressive symptoms in later pregnancy and early postpartum period
Summary
The transition to motherhood is a period of developmental challenge involving substantial changes and adjustments, both physiologically and psychologically. Pregnancy is a potential stressor and a high-risk period during which women with psychological vulnerability may develop mental health problems. Antenatal anxiety is prevalent during pregnancy and a recent study [4] reported that antenatal anxiety symptoms were more prevalent than antenatal depressive symptoms, research attention in the area of reproductive mental health has mainly focused on postpartum depression. In order to develop effective prevention and early intervention strategites, it is of value for examining how the effects of various demographic and psychosocial risk factors on anxiety in early pregnancy. To fill the above-mentioned gaps and facilitate further research in this area and clinical practices and approaches to the prevention and treatment of anxiety in pregnancy and postpartum period, our study aimed at estimating the prevalence of antental anxiety symptoms in the first trimester and identifying its demographgic and psychosocial risk factors. We further examined whether antental anxiety symptoms in the first trimester could significantly predict antental anxiety symptoms in the third trimester, anxiety and depressive symptoms in 6 weeks postpartum
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