Psychometric properties of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in Mexican pregnant women

Abstract

Introduction. Anxiety and depression in pregnant women are a public health problem. Their adequate detection requires valid and reliable instruments that are also useful for prevention and treatment. Objective. To identify the psychometric properties of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in a sample of Mexican pregnant women. Method. The HADS was applied to 716 pregnant women between 13 and 46 years old (M = 26.55; SD = 6.56) attended in a public hospital in Mexico City. Results. With a sample of 358 participants, a parallel analysis indicated a bifactorial structure for HADS, identified by exploratory factor analysis (Factor 1: anxiety, Factor 2: depression). The factors explained 53% of the variance and correlated positively (r = .36). The global internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .81; ordinal α = .93) and by factor (anxiety: Cronbach’s α = .79; ordinal α = .88; depression: Cronbach’s α = .79; ordinal α = .87) was acceptable. With data from the remaining 358 participants, a confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable fit for the structure detected (χ2/gl = 2.72; RMSEA = .06 [IC .05, .08]; GFI = .93; AGFI = .90; TLI = .90; CFI = .92). Discussion and conclusions. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale has adequate psychometric properties to be used in pregnant Mexican women. Its use in routine pregnancy controls would be useful to prevent, detect, and timely treat these conditions.

Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Ansiedad y Depresión Hospitalaria (HADS) en una muestra de pacientes mexicanos con enfermedades respiratorias

“…Cabe señalar que la mayoría de los estudios hechos en México no los reporta (cf. Barriguete et al, 2017;Díaz, González, Sánchez y Fernández, 2018;Herrera, Galindo y Lerma, 2018;López et al, 2002;Luna et al, 2020;Nogueda et al, 2013;Suárez et al, 2019;Villegas, 2004;Yamamoto et al, 2018).…”

Does telecounseling reduce anxiety and depression during pregnancy? A randomized controlled trial

“…HADS is a self-assessment scale used for screening purposes but not for diagnosis. The scale can also be used to screen for anxiety and depression in the general healthy population and pregnant women 16 . The scale consists of 14 items, seven of which measure anxiety, and the other seven measure depression symptoms.…”

Challenges of Perinatal Depression Care in Mexico City Health Centers

“…7 There is evidence of a higher prevalence of PD in low-and middle-income countries, 2 in which the most vulnerable members of the population, who have less educational attainment and are unpartnered and unemployed, are the most severely affected. 8 In Mexico, data from Mexico City show that between 4.3% and 30.7% of pregnant women experience depression in pregnancy (The Structured Clinical Interview, SCID), 9,10 while between 5.8% and 24.1% suffer PPD. 9,11 The evidence points to the importance of treating PD in a timely manner and preventing its emergence as far as possible.…”