Abstract
AimThe aim of this study is to assess the depression of pregnant women in the aftermath of an earthquake, and to identify the social support that they obtained, their coping styles and socio-demographic factors associated with depression.MethodsA total of 128 pregnant women from three hospitals in the epicenter area were recruited immediately after the Ya’an earthquake. Their depression was investigated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) with a cutoff score of 14; the social support that they obtained was measured using the Social Support Questionnaire; and their coping styles were assessed using the Coping Styles Questionnaire.ResultsImmediately after the earthquake, the incidence rate of depression in pregnant women was 35.2%, higher than that of the general pregnant population (7%-14%). The EPDS scores were significantly correlated with gestation age at the time of the earthquake, objective support, subjective support, use of support, negative coping style, and positive coping style. The regression analysis indicated that risk factors of prenatal depression include the number of children, relatives wounded, subjective support, and coping styles. A further analysis of the interaction between social support and two types of coping styles with depression showed that there was interaction effect between subjective social support and positive coping styles in relation to EPDS scores. There was an inverse relationship between low EPDS scores and positive coping styles and high social support, and vice versa.ConclusionThe timing of the occurrence of the earthquake may not necessarily affect the progress of the illness and recovery from depression, and psychological intervention could be conducted in the immediate aftermath after the earthquake. The impact of coping styles on prenatal depression appeared to be linked with social support. Helping pregnant women to adopt positive coping styles with good social support after a recent major earthquake, which is a stressor, may reduce their chances of developing prenatal depression.
Highlights
On April 20, 2013, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hit Lushan County of Ya’an City, which is located approximately 100 kilometers away from the city of Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores were significantly correlated with gestation age at the time of the earthquake, objective support, subjective support, use of support, negative coping style, and positive coping style
The timing of the occurrence of the earthquake may not necessarily affect the progress of the illness and recovery from depression, and psychological intervention could be conducted in the immediate aftermath after the earthquake
Summary
On April 20, 2013, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hit Lushan County of Ya’an City, which is located approximately 100 kilometers away from the city of Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province. The women who lived in the epicenter immediately after a major earthquake may suffer greater depression. It is necessary to investigate the depression of pregnant women and its risk factors at the epicenter immediately after a major earthquake in order to develop intervention strategies for this population. Most research of prenatal depression after an earthquake focus on either the psychological impact to the pregnant women several months after the disaster [18], or to the target population living in a distance from the epicenter [19]. The depression of pregnant women and its risk factors at the epicenter immediately after an earthquake remains to be studied
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