Abstract
The association between depressive symptoms and quality of life (QoL) is well established, however, little is known about the association of gestational depression and QoL. The purpose of this study is to address how GD impacts on QoL. Therefore, one hundred and eighty women in the second trimester of pregnancy were interviewed with an abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire and the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. From this sample, 21.6% were diagnosed with depression. Sociodemographic, psychopathological data and QoL domains of the two groups were compared using Chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests and Analyses of Variance. Correlations between sociodemographic and the QoL domains were calculated. Regression analysis was adopted to find relevant predictors of GD. The results showed that all domains of QoL were correlated with prior and current depression. Most domains correlated with previous postpartum depression. The only predictor of GD was years of education of the mother. In conclusion, prior and current depression are related to QoL and when in contact with a patient, clinicians should address not only depressive symptoms but also QoL dimensions, which include basic human needs such as life satisfaction and living conditions.
Highlights
The prevalence of gestational depression (GD) is high, and it is estimated that, in developed countries, it affects between 7% and 15% of pregnant women, while in low-economic income countries, the rate reaches 15% to 25% [1,2]
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the association of maternal depressive symptoms and the four dimensions of WHOQOLBREF [15]: the psychological, the social, the environmental, the physical domain as well as health perception and the overall quality of life
21.7% of the women were diagnosed with depression at the second trimester of pregnancy
Summary
The prevalence of gestational depression (GD) is high, and it is estimated that, in developed countries, it affects between 7% and 15% of pregnant women, while in low-economic income countries, the rate reaches 15% to 25% [1,2]. Depressed pregnant women are more prone to use alcohol, tobacco and other licit and illicit drugs They attend fewer to prenatal care follow up and will show more frequently unhealthy eating habits, sleep disturbances and less physical activities [4]. These behaviors associated to the biological mechanisms of the depression can expose the offspring to deleterious consequences as pre-eclampsia, pre-term birth, restricted fetal growth and/or low birth weight [5]. The physiology of the offspring of depressed mothers can be influenced by maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, that is, increased levels of cortisol and catecholamines These can stress the developing brain of the fetus and expose them to behavioral disturbances and psychiatric disorders later in life [6]
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