Evaluation of the Psychological Symptoms in Women with High Risk Pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the psychological characteristics and presence of anxious, depressive symptomatology and psychological distress in women with high-risk pregnancies with and without a history of perinatal loss. Material and methods: retrospective, comparative and cross-sectional study. It was selected a sample of 114 women who attended the National Institute of Perinatology “Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes”, to who it was applied the following instruments: Beck Depression Interview (bdi), State Trait Anxiety Inventory of Spielberberg (idare) and the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (30 questions). Results: when comparing the group that suffered losses against the group who did not have them, there were no statistically significant differences in the scores of the instruments used; however, it was found a little clinical difference among both samples. Conclusions: in the case of high-risk pregnancies, the difference between the psychological profiles of women with perinatal loss and those without this antecedent was marginal with respect to the level of depression and anxiety, without such difference was statistically significant. Psychological discomfort seems to arise in the same way in both groups; probably, the psychological profiles in both cases could be influenced by the condition of risk. It is important that the Family physician make an initial evaluation of the mood and anxiety of pregnant women.