Symptoms of depression and anxiety are common in both early and late pregnancy. Screening for risk factors in early pregnancy is important, since prenatal depression and anxiety may be related to adverse maternal and child health outcomes.

Introduction: Depression and anxiety during pregnancy are associated with adverse health outcomes for both mother and child. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of symptoms of depression and anxiety in early and late pregnancy, the longitudinal changes from early to late pregnancy, and factors associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnant women in the Netherlands. Methods: We studied 2897 women participating in the PRegnancy and Infant DEvelopment (PRIDE) Study. To assess symptoms of depression and anxiety, web-based questionnaires including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and multiple questions on maternal characteristics, including demographics, health, and lifestyle factors, were completed in early and late pregnancy. Cross-sectional and longitudinal multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted. Results: According to the HADS, the prevalence of depression in our population increased from 5.4% in early pregnancy to 10.0% in late pregnancy (p < 0.001), whereas the prevalence of anxiety decreased from 17.9% to 14.2% (p < 0.001). Several maternal characteristics, such as level of education, multiparity, a history of depression, severe nausea, extreme fatigue, lack of physical exercise, and negative life events were associated with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety throughout pregnancy. Being non-Dutch, not living with a partner, and having an unplanned pregnancy or a prolonged time to pregnancy influenced the depression and/or anxiety scores in early pregnancy only. Conclusions: Depression and anxiety are common disorders in both early and late pregnancy. Screening for risk factors for these disorders in early pregnancy is important, since prenatal depression and anxiety may be related to adverse maternal and child health outcomes.