Prevalence of depression and anxiety in primiparous women before and during early pregnancy – early findings from the MAMMI study mental health (MH) strand

Title: Prevalence of depression and anxiety in primiparous women before and during early pregnancy – early findings from the MAMMI study mental health (MH) strand. Background: It is estimated that up to 15% of pregnant... [ view full abstract ]

Title:
Prevalence of depression and anxiety in primiparous women before and during early pregnancy – early findings from the MAMMI study mental health (MH) strand.

Background:
It is estimated that up to 15% of pregnant women experience mental health problems during pregnancy and in the postpartum period.

Aim:
The aim of the MAMMI (Maternal health And Maternal Morbidity in Ireland) study (MH strand) is to explore women’s mental health problems before and during pregnancy and up to 12 months postpartum.

Methods:
The MAMMI study is a mixed-methods cohort study with 2600 primiparous women using self-completed surveys in pregnancy and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months postpartum, interviews, and data collection from maternity care records. Women are recruited at their first antenatal booking visit from three maternity hospitals in Ireland. Eligible women are aged 18 years or over and able to read and understand English. Data are analysed using SPSS v.18. The MAMMI study commenced in February 2012 and recruitment will be completed by February 2016. Ethical approval was granted by the two universities and three site hospitals. All women gave informed consent.

Findings:
Findings from 1925 participants recruited up to April 2015 in two sites show that 180 participants (9.3%) experienced depression and 93 (4.3%) experienced anxiety occasionally or often in the 12 months prior to pregnancy. Measuring distress in pregnancy with the DASS (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) revealed that 430 participants (22.9%) experienced symptoms of depression and 806 participants (43%) experienced symptoms of anxiety in the ‘mild’ to ‘extremely severe’ range of the scale.

Conclusion and implications:
Depression is common in pregnancy, but anxiety is the most common mental health disorder and, while it can co-exist with depression, it also can exist in isolation from it. Midwives need to be aware of the prevalence of depression and anxiety before and during pregnancy so that they can assess and refer women promptly and appropriately to perinatal mental health services.