Pregnancy anxiety: A systematic review of current scales

Anxiety symptoms may present differently between women and men, and at different points in the female lifespan. The female lifespan includes distinct epochs of hormonal function, including puberty, the premenstruum, in some women pregnancy or postpartum, and the menopausal transition. These stages give rise to important treatment considerations when treating anxiety in women. When making assessments, the clinician should consider reproductive events and hormonal status, as well as sex differences in anxiety presentation. This review is structured to: 1) Define major epochs of the female lifespan, 2) Provide a brief summary of the major anxiety disorders, with a focus on prevalence and presentation in the context of sex differences and at points in the female lifespan, 3) Describe potential biopsychosocial underpinnings of anxiety disorders among women, 4) Provide guidelines for assessment and differential diagnosis, and 5) Describe treatment options with attention to reproductive events such as pregnancy.

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“…insomnia, fatigue, difficulty concentrating) (39; 119). Thus, a careful diagnostic interview should be conducted.…”

Section: Assessment and Differential Diagnosismentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety Disorders Among Women: A Female Lifespan Approach

Hantsoo

Epperson

2017

FOC

114

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“…4,5 Women with high levels of depressive symptoms in late pregnancy may not only show more symptoms of depression directly after birth, but even after 14 years of follow-up. 7,8 For the latter, one study reported a decrease from 11.0% to 8.5% over the course of pregnancy, 9 while another reported an increase from 7.4% in early pregnancy to 12.8% in middle, and 12.0% in late pregnancy. In general, prevalence rates of anxiety seem to be higher compared with prevalence rates of depression.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depression and anxiety during pregnancy: The influence of maternal characteristics

Loo

Vlenterie²,

Nikkels

et al. 2018

Birth

107

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“…Many measures of pregnancy-related anxiety and distress have appeared (Cote-Arsenault, 2003; DiPietro et al, 2008; Huizink et al, 2004; Lobel et al, 2008; Rini et al, 1999; Somerville et al, 2014; Van den Bergh, 1990), and several reviews of the research literature exist (Alderdice et al, 2012; Brunton et al, 2015; Dunkel Schetter and Tanner, 2012; Meades and Ayers, 2011). A key tenet of these studies is that pregnancy-related anxiety does more than describe the content of pregnant women’s worries; that is, pregnancy-related anxiety is proposed as a distinct clinical entity with construct and discriminant validity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A key tenet of these studies is that pregnancy-related anxiety does more than describe the content of pregnant women’s worries; that is, pregnancy-related anxiety is proposed as a distinct clinical entity with construct and discriminant validity. Reviews of the available research, e.g., (Brunton et al, 2015) imply that these conditions may not yet be met.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pregnancy-related anxiety: Evidence of distinct clinical significance from a prospective longitudinal study

Blackmore

Gustafsson

Gilchrist

et al. 2016

Journal of Affective Disorders

150

105

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Background Pregnancy-related anxiety (PrA) has attracted considerable research attention, but questions remain about its distinctiveness from conventional constructs and measures. In a high psychosocial risk, ethnically diverse sample, we examine the degree to which PrA is distinct from continuous and diagnostic measures of anxiety and worry in terms of longitudinal course, associations with psychosocial and perinatal risk, and prediction of postnatal mood disturbance. Methods 345 women oversampled for prenatal anxiety and depression were selected from an urban obstetrics clinic serving a predominantly low-income, ethnically diverse population. PrA was assessed at 20 and 32 weeks gestation; anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed from questionnaire and from clinical interview at 20 and 32 weeks gestation and again at 2 and 6 months postnatally. Data relevant to psychosocial and obstetric risks were ascertained from interview, medical exam, and chart review. Results Two distinct factors of PrA were identified, indexing specific concerns about the child’s health and about the birth; these two PrA factors showed distinct longitudinal patterns in the prenatal period, and modest associations with general measures of anxiety and depression from questionnaire and clinical interview. PrA was also distinguished from conventional symptom measures in its associated features and prediction of birth weight and postnatal mood. Limitations The sample was at high psychosocial risk and ethnically diverse; findings may not generalize to other samples. Conclusions PrA can be distinguished from general measures of anxiety in pregnancy in terms of longitudinal course, associated features, and prediction to postnatal mood disturbance, and may warrant specific clinical attention.

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Pregnancy anxiety: A systematic review of current scales

Cited by 150 publications

References 121 publications

Anxiety Disorders Among Women: A Female Lifespan Approach

Anxiety Disorders Among Women: A Female Lifespan Approach

Depression and anxiety during pregnancy: The influence of maternal characteristics

Pregnancy-related anxiety: Evidence of distinct clinical significance from a prospective longitudinal study

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