Psychological adaptation to pregnancy in childless women more than 35 years of age.

Forty-five pregnant childless women with a mean age of 36.6 years (+/- 1.7) were compared with 42 nulliparous pregnant women with a mean age of 26.7 years (+/- 2.8). Initial interviews determined the basic demographic data, the reasons for delaying pregnancy, attitudes to pregnancy, and plans concerning careers. Psychological tests were given to measure anxiety, depression, anger, marital intimacy, sense of autonomy, and role expectations. These psychological tests were applied to all patients at 12 to 16 weeks' gestation and again at 28 to 32 weeks' gestation. The demographic information from the two groups was remarkably similar. Although their ages differed by 10 years, their career goals, their family incomes, reasons for delaying pregnancy, and reasons for now getting pregnant revealed minimal differences. The Maffer Feminine Identity Scale revealed that the younger women held more traditional attitudes toward a woman's roles than the older group. The Sociotrophy-Autonomy Scale indicated that the older women were more independent than the younger pregnant patients. The Symptom Checklist indicated that the older group were less troubled by pregnancy than the control group, and although their level of distress increased as the pregnancy progressed, they remained better adjusted as they entered the last trimester of their pregnancies.