Incidence and predictors of paternal anxiety and depression following fetal abnormalities requiring pregnancy termination: a cross-sectional study in China

Abstract

Background China is a country with a high prevalence of fetal abnormalities. Termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormalities (TOPFA) is a devastating traumatic event for parents and families, resulting in serious and lasting psychological problems. The impact of TOPFA on mothers has been extensively explored, but little research has been conducted on the resulting paternal psychological problems. This study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of paternal anxiety and depression following TOPFA. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data from 169 Chinese couples (169 mothers and 169 fathers) who experienced TOPFA. Anxiety was assessed with the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and depression was measured with the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) for fathers and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for mothers. We used the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) to assess levels of social support. Results Overall, 19.5% of fathers and 24.3% of mothers had symptoms of anxiety, but there was no significant difference in the incidence of anxiety between fathers and mothers. However, depression was more common in mothers (50.3%) than in fathers (24.9%). Level of income (β = -2.945, 95% CI: -5.448 to -0.442), worry about the pregnancy (β = 3.404, 95% CI: 1.210 to 5.599) and objective support (β = -0.668, 95% CI: -1.163 to -0.173) were predictors of anxiety in fathers. Worry about the pregnancy (β = 4.022, 95% CI: 1.630 to 6.414), objective support (β = -0.652, 95% CI: -1.229 to -0.075) and maternal depression (β = 0.497, 95% CI: 0.159 to 0.836) were predictors of paternal depression. Conclusion Anxiety and depression were prevalent among parents following TOPFA in China, and fathers had similar levels of anxiety as mothers. Strategies to support fathers should consider social support and psychological interaction and draw upon father-inclusive intervention recommendations.

Comorbid Anxiety and Depression among Pregnant and Postpartum Women: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study

“…Depression and Anxiety (the cut-off value is 50). The Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.89 in the measurement of pregnant women [24].…”

Prevalence of depression and anxiety, and their relationship to social support among patients and family caregivers of rare bone diseases

“…The level of social support was evaluated with Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), which has good reliability and validity [ 27 ] and is the most prevalent questionnaire for measuring social support of various population over 14 years old in China [ 28 , 29 ]. SSRS contains 10 items in 3 subscales: subjective social support, objective social support and the utilization of social support [ 27 ], with a total score of 66.…”

Parents’ experiences and need for social support after pregnancy termination for fetal anomaly: a qualitative study in China

“…Structural support includes formal support (eg, from healthcare professionals) and informal support (eg, from close family members and friends). Social support is often identified as the most critical component for mothers’ adaptation to the death of their children,27 as it can effectively decrease parental grief, anxiety, depression and PTSD 28–30. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the experiences and social support need of parents under the special cultural context of China to help clinical medical staff and social workers better understand and support parents.…”