Maternal Coping Style and Perceived Adequacy of Income Predict CRH Levels at 14-20 Weeks of Gestation

Abstract

Objective This exploratory study examines the role of psychosocial–behavioral variables as predictors of elevated corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) at 14–20 weeks of gestation. Method One hundred and twenty women were enrolled into the study. Blood samples were collected at 14–20 weeks of pregnancy and assayed for CRH. Participants completed questionnaires that included the Perceived Stress Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies (CES) Depression Scale, the Pregnancy-Specific Anxiety (PAS) Scale, the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, the Life Orientation Test, the Brief COPE scale, and questions regarding violence/abuse, and work, sleep, and nutritional patterns. Results Pregnant women with high CRH levels (15 pcg/ml and above) perceived their income to be inadequate, slept more hours at night, stood more hours during the day, and used the coping styles of disengagement or religion but not humor. Logistic regression identified three predictors for high CRH (accounting for 42.2% of the variance): perceived inadequacy of income and the use of “religion” and “disengagement” to cope with stress. Conclusions These results are the first known to identify coping style and perceived income inadequacy as predictors of high CRH. Women with perceived inadequacy of income had almost three times the odds for high CRH. Women who used religion or disengagement to cope with stress had 14 times and 7 times the odds for high CRH levels, respectively. Higher CRH levels are associated with preterm birth (PTB). Thus, it may be important to include maternal coping style and perceptions of income inadequacy in future investigations of CRH levels and PTB.

Evaluation of the Association Between Placental Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms

“…Given the current state of the existing literature examining this relation among adult women, it was not possible to formulate a clear a priori hypothesis about direction or timing of effects for the following reasons: two studies have documented a positive association (43,59), one has documented a negative association (44), and three have not detected an association (41,42,60). The current study revealed neither concurrent nor lagged associations between pCRH and prepartum symptoms.…”

Coping during pregnancy: a systematic review and recommendations

“…These have been associated with many adverse mental health outcomes in pregnancy including lower general psychological well-being, increased distress, higher depressed mood, more anxiety, higher perceived stress, less positive attitudes towards cystic fibrosis screening, and greater child abuse potential (Faisal-Cury, Savoia, & Menezes, 2012; Fang et al, 2007; Giurgescu et al, 2006; Hamilton & Lobel, 2008; Lobel et al, 2002; Lowenkron, 1999; Rodriguez, 2009; Rudnicki, Graham, Habboushe, & Ross, 2001; Spirito et al, 1991) as well as physical health correlates such as greater daily glucose variability among women with gestational diabetes (Spirito et al, 1991). Latendresse and Ruiz (2010) also found that a general avoidant coping style was associated with higher maternal levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone of placental origin (pCRH), which has been implicated in the timing of delivery and etiology of preterm birth (Challis et al, 2000; Mancuso et al, 2004; McLean et al, 1995; Sandman et al, 2006). Substance use is another potentially harmful means of coping with stress during pregnancy.…”

Mid-Pregnancy Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Levels in Association With Postpartum Depressive Symptoms

“…Specifically, Meltzer‐Brody et al . assessed CRH by using competitive enzyme immunoassay, while radioimmunoassay is the most common technique used for CRH measurement, among studies focusing on CRH during pregnancy and in general . Contributing factors for the selection of RIA by the majority of relevant studies are the use of RIA in the initial studies measuring CRH and the greater sensitivity characterizing this method .…”