Stress and psychiatric morbidity in working and non-working pregnant women in third trimester

Abstract

Background: Pregnant women experience dramatic changes both physically and mentally in preparation for birth and breastfeeding. Stress during pregnancy is known to affect the physiological and psycho-social health of the mother and also influences the fetal health. Stress during pregnancy is related to preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight and infant abnormalities. Working women are subject to duties and responsibilities both at home and work place leading to various psychological problems like role-conflict, job strain, mental fatigue and emotional disturbances. Methods: 150 Pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy attending the antenatal clinic of Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore were included for the study which consists of 75 working and 75 non-working. The scales used were A to Z Stress Rating Scale, Brief PHQ and semi structured sociodemographic profile. Results: The mean age with standard deviation was 25.12±2.96 for non working women and 26.84±3.09 for working women. The A-Z Stress Rating Scale (86.71±26.41) and Brief PHQ (12.27±4.16) in working women showed higher scores compared to non-working women which showed A-Z Stress Rating Scale (71.12±32.07) and Brief PHQ (10.09±5.52). They were also statistically significant