A Study of Anxiety and Stress During Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression Among Rural Women in Delhi NCR

Around the world, Pregnancy and the disarrays have been a concerning issue of general prosperity. The psychological and social changes in females during pregnancy lead to strain and stress among women. The pressing factor looked by the females before transport impacts the child’s prosperity. Another overview suggested that pressure during antenatal period present for a long stretch inimically affects the mother and the youth. Keeping this in view an exact study was coordinated to perceive pressing factor and pressure and its disagreeable outcome on pregnant females. Therefore, the investigator finds it important to conduct research of anxiety and stress during pregnancy and postpartum depression among rural women in Delhi NCR. The objective of the study is to study the influence of stress and anxiety during pregnancy on postpartum depression among rural women in Delhi NCR. For this purpose, 80 women from the regions of rural Delhi and NCR. For the measurement of stress level of SS stress scale were used. It is constructed by Dr. M. Singh (2002). Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) developed in (1987) by Scottish health centers in Edinburgh and Livingston was used to measure the postnatal depression among women. State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to measure the anxiety level of the pregnant women. The result of the study concluded that 70% pregnant women were nulliparous and 30 % were parous women. Majority of pregnant women 60% belonged to the age group of 28-30 years. Only 6 % of them were below the age of 25-27 years. 80% pregnant women were housewives. The remaining were working as clerk (4%), technician (4%) and 4% of them were working as professionals. Only 18 % belonged to municipality area. Eighty percent of the pregnant women were having nuclear type of family and the remaining 20 % belonged to joint family system. Only 2% subjects were the only child group and 16% were the last one for their parents. 44 % were first born and 38 % were with a birth order of in between position. Only 10 percentages had history of abortion. It is observed that 50 % subjects were using only television as a source of information and the remaining 50 % sought information from different sources. Further details revealed that only 0 % got information from relatives and friends. Majority of pregnant women did not report any family members with fear of pregnancy (94%). All pregnant women were not having any family history of mental disease (100%). Prevalence of 48.4% severe general anxiety during first trimester among pregnant women was noted. Data further indicated that the mean general anxiety score during third trimester was high (106.89) compared to other trimesters, indicating that pregnant women were having high degree of general anxiety especially of state anxiety (56.25) during their third trimester. When compared to anxiety, prevalence of stress is less may be due to the prevailing social and family support system. Anxiety scores also revealed the same trend. This indicated that pregnant women were more relaxed during second trimester. Further, women who experienced high stress symptoms and anxiety during pregnancy also show significantly higher on postpartum depression.