Anxiety and Emotional Distress in Hyperemesis Gravidarum Patients (A Case-Control Study) in Zagazig University Hospitals, Egypt

Abstract

Nausea and vomiting are common experiences in pregnancy and it is considered as a part of normal physiology. It affects about 75% of pregnant women without a known cause. In most cases, it is a mild and self-limited condition that can be controlled with conservative measures and has no adverse fetal outcomes. Women with severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) may have hyperemesis gravidarum (HG); an entity distinct from NVP, which if left untreated may lead to significant maternal and fetal morbidity. The objective of this study was to assess the presence and severity of anxiety in pregnant women with and without HG. The study is a case-control study on 52 pregnant women divided into two groups: cases hospitalized with the diagnosis of HG and healthy pregnant women as a control group. All mothers in the study were evaluated by Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). It was revealed that most of hyperemesis gravidarum cases suffered from severe anxiety while only (7.7%) of healthy control had severe anxiety, with high statistical significant difference. The mean of Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) is statistically higher among hyperemesis gravidarum cases than healthy controls. Regarding General Health Questionnaire-28 subscales; the mean score of somatic symptoms, social dysfunction and severe depression is statistically higher among hyperemesis gravidarum cases than healthy controls. It was concluded that anxiety and emotional distress were more common and severe in patients with HG.

Anxiety and coping strategies among women with hyperemesis gravidarum in Malaysia

“…In Malaysia, 69% of pregnant women suffer from anxiety due to HG, which reports as the most common cause of psychological distress (Tan et al, 2014). Many previous studies further support the connection between anxiety and HG (Beyazit & Sahin, 2018;Hussien et al, 2019;Loo et al, 2018;McCarthy et al, 2011;Munch et al, 2011;Pirimoglu et al, 2010). A study by O'Brien et al (2002) on hospitalized women with HG determined the coping mechanisms utilized to handle this medical condition.…”

“…Even so, a large number of studies have delved into the emotional impact of a Hyperemesis Gravidarum among early pregnancies (Bulin, 2019;Bulut & Özdemir, 2019;Khoramroudi, 2018;Mekonnen et al, 2018). Among patients in HG, anxiety and emotional distress were more prevalent and severe (Hussien et al, 2019). In Malaysia, 69% of pregnant women suffer from anxiety due to HG, which reports as the most common cause of psychological distress (Tan et al, 2014).…”