Emotional problems and affecting factors in women with high risk pregnancy

This research was conducted as a descriptive study to determine the emotional problems experienced by pregnant women diagnosed with high-risk pregnancy and the affecting factors. The research sample consisted of 135 pregnant women aged 18-35 who applied to the Perinatology service and polyclinic of Hitit University Erol Olcok Training and Research Hospital between 08.06.2022 and 29.01.2023, diagnosed with high-risk pregnancy and did not receive any psychological support before. After obtaining the permissions of the Ethics Committee, Institutional Permission and the scales to be used, data collection began. As a data collection tool, 'Pregnant Assessment Questionnaire (GDA)' 'Beck Depression Scale (BDS)' 'Beck Anxiety Scale (BAI)' 'Pregnancy Stress Assessment Scale (GSS) was used. Independent Sample T Test, One Vay ANOVA Test, and Pearson Correlation Test were used for data analysis. Of the pregnant women participating in the study, 17.8% had hypertensive diseases, 8.1% pyelonephritis, 5.2% severe hyperemesis gravidarum, 11.9% preterm labor, 3.0% abnormalities in weight gain, 1.5 postterm pregnancy, 3.7% intrauterine growth retardation, 2.2% multiple pregnancy, 8.1% polyhydramnios and oligohydramnios, 3.7% acute surgical problems, 4%, 4 were diagnosed with RH incompatibility, 5.9% with presentation anomalies, 9.6% with DM, 1.5% with inappropriate fundus height, and 13.3% with antenatal bleeding. According to the statistical results, the mean and standard deviation values of the scales were obtained as BDI (16.78±8.45), BAI (19.25±10.82), and GSSS (63.06±17.48). When the factors affecting anxiety, depression and pregnancy stress were examined, it was seen that as the parity of pregnant women increased, there was a decrease in pregnancy stress, as abortion increased, there was an increase in depression and anxiety, and as the number of abortions increased, there was a decrease in pregnancy stress. Depression and anxiety levels were found to be higher in pregnant women who did not go to pregnancy follow-ups regularly (p<α=0.05). When the effects of marital relations on emotional problems were examined, anxiety and depression levels were found to be higher in pregnant women whose marital life was close to bad and those whose sexual life was adversely affected (p<α=0.05). Considering the effects of sociodemographic characteristics, the level of depression increased as the education level of pregnant women decreased. It is understood that those with less income than their expenses have higher levels of anxiety and pregnancy stress, and individuals who do not have social security have higher levels of anxiety and depression (p<α=0.05). No relationship was found between the occupational groups of the pregnant women, their kinship with their spouses, the age of marriage, the employment status of the pregnant women, the medical diagnosis received, and depression, anxiety and pregnancy stress (p>0.05). According to the results of Pearson correlation analysis, it was found that there was a statistically significant, moderate and positive relationship between BDI and BAI (p<0.05, r=.627). In conclusion, according to this study, it was determined that emotional problems such as anxiety, depression and pregnancy stress in women with high-risk pregnancy are affected by sociodemographic characteristics.