Women’s mental health during late pregnancy: A survey conducted in Shandong Province, China

Abstract

Background  The study aimed to investigate the general mental health status and its associated factors in women during late pregnancy. The objective was to provide a scientific basis for developing psychological interventions tailored to this specific population.

Methods  The research was conducted from May 2021 to July 2022, involving the recruitment of 200 women attending maternal and child health clinics for their late-pregnancy checkups. Data collection was carried out using a comprehensive approach, involving several validated tools. The participants completed a general demographic and sociological questionnaire along with four standardized psychological assessment scales: the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS-8), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), and the 9-question Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). A total of 200 valid questionnaires were collected for analysis.

Results  The study revealed that the overall prevalence of positive detection of general mental health problems in women during late pregnancy was 11%. Significant differences were observed in the positive detection rate of general mental health status based on various factors such as the quality of relationships with husbands, pregnancy intentions, insomnia, anxiety, and depression (p<0.01). Furthermore, participants with general mental health problems displayed notably higher scores on the AIS-8, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 scales compared to those without such problems (p<0.01). Regression analysis indicated that pregnancy intention and PHQ-9 scores were influential factors affecting the general mental health of women during late pregnancy (p<0.05).

Conclusion  The study highlights high rates of general mental health problems during late pregnancy, with unplanned pregnancy and elevated depression scores as key risk factors. Regular mental health screening and targeted interventions are essential to support women during this critical period and enhance the well-being of both mothers and babies.

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund  Ziel der Studie war es, den allgemeinen psychischen Gesundheitszustand und die damit verbundenen Faktoren bei Frauen in der Spätschwangerschaft zu untersuchen. Ziel war es, eine wissenschaftliche Grundlage für die Entwicklung psychologischer Interventionen zu schaffen, die auf diese spezifische Bevölkerungsgruppe zugeschnitten sind.

Methoden  Die Forschung wurde von Mai 2021 bis Juli 2022 durchgeführt und umfasste die Rekrutierung von 200 Frauen, die für ihre Spätschwangerschaftsuntersuchungen Kliniken für Mutter- und Kindergesundheit aufsuchten. Die Datenerhebung erfolgte mithilfe eines umfassenden Ansatzes, der mehrere validierte Tools umfasste. Die Teilnehmer füllten einen allgemeinen demografischen und soziologischen Fragebogen sowie vier standardisierte psychologische Bewertungsskalen aus: den 12-Punkte-Fragebogen zur allgemeinen Gesundheit (GHQ-12), die Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS-8) und die Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7). und der 9-Fragen-Fragebogen zur Patientengesundheit (PHQ-9). Insgesamt wurden 200 gültige Fragebögen zur Analyse gesammelt.

Ergebnisse Die Studie ergab, dass die Gesamtprävalenz der positiven Erkennung allgemeiner psychischer Gesundheitsprobleme bei Frauen in der Spätschwangerschaft 11% betrug. Signifikante Unterschiede wurden bei der positiven Erkennungsrate des allgemeinen psychischen Gesundheitszustands beobachtet, basierend auf verschiedenen Faktoren wie der Qualität der Beziehungen zu Ehemännern, Schwangerschaftsabsichten, Schlaflosigkeit, Angstzuständen und Depressionen (p<0,01). Darüber hinaus wiesen Teilnehmer mit allgemeinen psychischen Problemen deutlich höhere Werte auf den Skalen AIS-8, PHQ-9 und GAD-7 auf als Teilnehmer ohne solche Probleme (p<0,01). Die Regressionsanalyse zeigte, dass die Schwangerschaftsabsicht und die PHQ-9-Werte Einflussfaktoren auf die allgemeine psychische Gesundheit von Frauen in der Spätschwangerschaft waren (p<0,05).

Schlussfolgerung Die Studie weist auf eine hohe Rate allgemeiner psychischer Probleme während der Spätschwangerschaft hin, wobei ungeplante Schwangerschaften und erhöhte Depressionswerte die wichtigsten Risikofaktoren sind. Regelmäßige Untersuchungen zur psychischen Gesundheit und gezielte Interventionen sind unerlässlich, um Frauen in dieser kritischen Zeit zu unterstützen und das Wohlbefinden von Müttern und Babys zu verbessern.

Keywords

pregnancy - women - mental health - depression - anxiety - Generalized anxiety disorder

Schlüsselwörter

Schwangerschaft - Frauen - Psychische Gesundheit - Generalisierte Angststörung - Depression

Publication History

Received: 20 December 2023

Accepted after revision: 28 May 2024

Article published online:
03 July 2024

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