Keller, Addie

Description

Depression and anxiety are prevalent among pregnant women, however, mental health continues to be a portion of care neglected in the obstetric setting. Depression is of-ten thought of as a disorder that leads to a persistent feeling of sadness. Anxiety is charac-terized by excessive fear and worry. Because of the many changes occurring throughout pregnancy, both physically and emotionally, it is not uncommon for pregnant women to struggle with depression, anxiety, or both. Previous studies have found that there are many factors associated with depression and anxiety throughout pregnancy. This study focuses on the relationship between age, gravida, and social support with levels of depression and anxiety among pregnant women. The participants were pregnant women from the northern Mississippi area (N=502, 77.1% White, 19.6% African American, 1.4% Asian, 0.2% Native American, and 1.6% multiracial) ages 18 to 45. When the women arrived at the OBGYN of Tupelo, they were approached and asked if they were willing to participate in a study observing changes throughout pregnancy. If they consented, women were given the demographic question-naire and packet of measures, including the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale21 (DASS-21; Lovibond et al., 1995); DASS-21 and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; Cox, Holden, Sagovsky, 1987). The results showed that there was a negative correlation between maternal age and depression, as well as maternal age and anxiety, supporting the hypothesis. It was also found that married pregnant women, serving as an estimate for social support, were less likely to experience depression than non-married pregnant women;...

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