Perceived stress and its psychological correlates in pregnant women: an Indian study

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at evaluation of perceived stress, anxiety, depression and coping among pregnant women. Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS), Pregnancy Related Anxiety Scale (PRAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Brief COPE inventory were administered to 110 ante-natal mothers. Nearly one third (30.9%) reported significant stress and 20.9% had pregnancy related anxiety. Depression was found in 7.3%, and 47.3% and 23.6% of participants reported significant trait and state anxiety respectively. An expectation of a male child by the participant’s family (p = 0.003), worries of giving birth to a female child (p = 0.037) and practicing Hinduism were associated with significant stress. Antenatal mothers who perceived high stress on PSS-14 significantly differed on reporting of child related anxiety on the PRAS (p < 0.001), state anxiety (p = 0.046), trait anxiety (p < 0.01) and total scores on STAI (p < 0.01). Emotional focused and avoidance oriented coping was more often used by participants who perceived high stress. Correlation analyses showed that total perceived stress scores were positively correlated with trait anxiety (p = 0.011) and total STAI score (p = 0.022). None of the obstetrical factors were associated with perceived stress. It was concluded that a significant proportion of pregnant women perceive stress and pregnancy related anxiety.

KEYWORDS:

• Pregnancy
• stress
• anxiety
• depression
• coping

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Jitender Aneja is presently Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur. He was Formerly an Assistant Professor at Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, India. He was consultant in-charge of Marital & Psychosexual Clinic and Stress Management Clinic, which was being run by the Department of Psychiatry. His research focuses on psychosomatic disorders, consultation liaison psychiatry, and understanding of common mental disorders from cultural perspectives. He was also involved in clinical care of intellectually disabled children at Government Rehabilitation Institute of Intellectual Disabilities (GRIID), Chandigarh.

Prof. Bir Singh Chavan is currently the Professor & Head of Psychiatry, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh; Joint Director, Government Rehabilitation Institute of Intellectual Disabilities (GRIID); Head of Department of Human Genetics; Nodal Officer – State Resource Centre, and Nodal Officer National Trust under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, for the Northern States and Additional Director, Mental Health Institute, U.T., Chandigarh.

Dr. Anju Huria retired as Professor and Head, Department of Gynaecology at Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh. Her special interest is in Gynaecological oncology and teaching.

Dr. Poonam Goel is Professor of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh. Her academic interest includes Gestational Diabetes and Gynaecological Cancers.

Ms. Navneet Kohli is Clinical Psychologist in Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh.

Ms. Preeti Chhabra is former Medical Social worker who worked in Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh.