Judith L Meijer1, Claudi L H Bockting2, Ronald P Stolk1, Roman Kotov3, Johan Ormel4, Huibert Burger5. 1. Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. 2. Department of Clinical and Developmental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. 3. Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA. 4. Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. 5. Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: h.burger@umcg.nl.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: to investigate the association of life events during pregnancy with change in antenatal anxiety and depression symptoms. We distinguished pregnancy related and non-pregnancy related events and assessed specificity of these associations for depressive or anxious symptoms. In addition, we investigated whether the associations were affected by personality or childhood adversities. DESIGN: observational prospective cohort study SETTING: primary and secondary obstetric care centres in the Netherlands PARTICIPANTS: 1603 women during their first trimester of pregnancy between May 2010 and May 2012 MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: we performed linear regression analyses to test the associations of pregnancy related, non-pregnancy related life events, childhood adversities and the personality traits neuroticism and extraversion with the change in symptoms of anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory) and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) from week 12 to week 36. Life events during pregnancy were associated with increasing antenatal symptoms of anxiety and depression. Effect sizes associated with the highest numbers of events observed ranged from 0.59 to 1.31. Pregnancy related events were specifically associated with increasing symptoms of anxiety (p=0.009), whereas non-pregnancy related events were merely associated with an increase in symptoms of depression (p<0.001). Neither personality traits nor childhood trauma influenced the associations under study. KEY CONCLUSIONS: the most important finding is that pregnancy related life events during pregnancy increase levels of antenatal anxiety, whereas depression levels increase when women experience life events that are unrelated to pregnancy. Furthermore, non-pregnancy related events show stronger associations with increases in symptoms of anxiety or depression compared to pregnancy related events. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: our findings may help midwives to tailor psychosocial care to the specific risks of the pregnant woman which may eventually have a positive impact on the health of mother and child.
OBJECTIVE: to investigate the association of life events during pregnancy with change in antenatal anxiety and depression symptoms. We distinguished pregnancy related and non-pregnancy related events and assessed specificity of these associations for depressive or anxious symptoms. In addition, we investigated whether the associations were affected by personality or childhood adversities. DESIGN: observational prospective cohort study SETTING: primary and secondary obstetric care centres in the Netherlands PARTICIPANTS: 1603 women during their first trimester of pregnancy between May 2010 and May 2012 MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: we performed linear regression analyses to test the associations of pregnancy related, non-pregnancy related life events, childhood adversities and the personality traits neuroticism and extraversion with the change in symptoms of anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory) and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) from week 12 to week 36. Life events during pregnancy were associated with increasing antenatal symptoms of anxiety and depression. Effect sizes associated with the highest numbers of events observed ranged from 0.59 to 1.31. Pregnancy related events were specifically associated with increasing symptoms of anxiety (p=0.009), whereas non-pregnancy related events were merely associated with an increase in symptoms of depression (p<0.001). Neither personality traits nor childhood trauma influenced the associations under study. KEY CONCLUSIONS: the most important finding is that pregnancy related life events during pregnancy increase levels of antenatal anxiety, whereas depression levels increase when women experience life events that are unrelated to pregnancy. Furthermore, non-pregnancy related events show stronger associations with increases in symptoms of anxiety or depression compared to pregnancy related events. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: our findings may help midwives to tailor psychosocial care to the specific risks of the pregnant woman which may eventually have a positive impact on the health of mother and child.
Authors: Sophie E M Truijens; Viola Spek; Maarten J M van Son; S Guid Oei; Victor J M Pop Journal: Arch Womens Ment Health Date: 2017-06-08 Impact factor: 3.633
Authors: Judith Aris-Meijer; Claudi Bockting; Ronald Stolk; Tjitte Verbeek; Chantal Beijers; Mariëlle van Pampus; Huibert Burger Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-08-09 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Lianne P Hulsbosch; Ivan Nyklíček; Eva S Potharst; Margreet Meems; Myrthe G B M Boekhorst; Victor J M Pop Journal: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Date: 2020-03-13 Impact factor: 3.007
Authors: Chantal Beijers; Johan Ormel; Judith L Meijer; Tjitte Verbeek; Claudi L H Bockting; Huibert Burger Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-01-20 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Elke Tichelman; Jens Henrichs; François G Schellevis; Marjolein Y Berger; Huibert Burger Journal: PLoS One Date: 2020-11-04 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Margreet Meems; Lianne Hulsbosch; Madelon Riem; Christina Meyers; Tila Pronk; Maarten Broeren; Karin Nabbe; Guid Oei; Stefan Bogaerts; Victor Pop Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2020-10-27 Impact factor: 2.692