Prevalence and Factors related of psychiatric symptoms in low risk pregnancy

Background: Psychiatric disorders are associated with poor pregnancy outcomes both for mother and child. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and related demographic risk factors of psychiatric symptoms among the pregnant women in Babol City. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in five private and public obstetrics clinics of Babol city. During routine appointments of prenatal care, 176 pregnant women filled in three questionnaires including; sociodemographic questionnaire, Edinburg Prenatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and Symptom Checklist-25 (SCL-25). Wilcoxon test, Spearman correlation, and multivariate logistic regression tests were used to interpret the data. Results: The prevalence of depressive disorders was 15.4 for Edinburg scores ≥13.  The overall rate of maternal psychiatric symptoms (global severity index or GSI scores ≥ 1.75) was 48.5. The prevalence of psychiatric symptoms was high; for 25 somatization, 258 anxiety, obsession-compulsion disorders or OCD 6.4, 8.8 interpersonal sensitivity, 5.3 phobia, 7.6 paranoid ideation, and 1.2 psychoticism. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that pregnant women with history of abortion in previous pregnancy were at risk of depressive symptoms more (β=3.18, CI 1.28-7.93, p=0.01) than those without history of abortion. Also, the only demographic factor related to psychiatric symptoms was the age of pregnant women; younger age was associated with higher symptom levels for GSI ((r=-0.17). Conclusion: The high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms, especially depressive symptoms, in pregnant women highlights the need for continued research on screening, identifying the risk factors, and developing effective treatments for mental disorders in pregnant women

Screening of psychiatric disorders in women with high-risk pregnancy: Accuracy of three psychological tools

PURPOSE: This study investigated the optimal cutoff points of three psychological tools for screening psychiatric disorders in women with high‐risk pregnancy. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this cross‐sectional study (N = 155), sensitivity/specificity of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Brief Symptom Inventory 53‐items (BSI‐53), and the BSI‐18 were computed with respect to having a psychiatric diagnosis based on the clinical interview. RESULTS: The usual cutoffs (≥13 for EPDS, T‐score of 63 for BSI‐53) demonstrated poor diagnostic accuracy. The optimal thresholds were computed for EPDS cutoff of 6.5, GSI = 0.47 for BSI‐53, and GSI = 0.5 for BSI‐18. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The use of psychological tools among pregnant women with high‐risk pregnancy may need to be modified in order to accurately identify psychiatric disorders

Screening of psychiatric disorders in women with high-risk pregnancy: Accuracy of three psychological tools

Purpose: This study investigated the optimal cutoff points of three psychological tools for screening psychiatric disorders in women with high-risk pregnancy. Design and Methods: In this cross-sectional study (N = 155), sensitivity/specificity of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Brief Symptom Inventory 53-items (BSI-53), and the BSI-18 were computed with respect to having a psychiatric diagnosis based on the clinical interview. Results: The usual cutoffs (≥13 for EPDS, T-score of 63 for BSI-53) demonstrated poor diagnostic accuracy. The optimal thresholds were computed for EPDS cutoff of 6.5, GSI = 0.47 for BSI-53, and GSI = 0.5 for BSI-18. Practice Implications: The use of psychological tools among pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy may need to be modified in order to accurately identify psychiatric disorders

A Psychosocial Risk Assessment Tool to Predict Postnatal Depression in Women with Complicated Pregnancy

Introduction: Few studies have reported the role of psychosocial risk factors by a validated scale in predicting mental disorders in women with a complicated pregnancy. This study investigated the role of a psychosocial risk assessment tool in the prediction of postnatal depression in women with a complicated pregnancy. Methods: A prospective study was performed on pregnant women with complicated pregnancies from December, 2019, to June, 2020. A total of 125 pregnant women filled the Antenatal Risk Questionnaire (ANRQ), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and Brief Symptom Inventory 53 items (BSI-53). Also, the patients completed EPDS for 6 weeks postpartum. An expert mental specialist conducted the interviews based on the DSM-5. Results: More than half of the women with complicated pregnancies were diagnosed to have at least one mental disorder. The mean risk scores of ANRQ, including the childhood social support from the respondent’s mother, history of mental illness, perceived level of support available postpartum, significant life events in the past 12 months, and personality traits with high anxiety, were higher in women with mental disorders than those without mental disorders. The results emphasized that the total score of ANRQ was the strongest positive predictor for postnatal depression score of EPDS (β = 0.569, p=<0.001), total score of BSI-53 (β = 0.666 p=<0.001), and GSI (β = 0.237, p=0.019). Conclusion: The study proposes that the use of a validated psychosocial risk assessment tool alongside a psychological screening tool, like EPDS, is reliable for the prediction of mental disorders and help women with complicated pregnancy at risk for the prevention of depression at antenatal visits