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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
When is the best time to screen for perinatal anxiety? A longitudinal cohort study
Journal of anxiety disorders, Vol.103, 102841
04/2024
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Abstract
Background
For screening for anxiety during pregnancy and after birth to be efficient and effective it is important to know the optimal time to screen in order to identify women who might benefit from treatment.
Aims
To determine the optimal time to screen for perinatal anxiety to identify women with anxiety disorders and those who want treatment. A secondary aim was to examine the stability and course of perinatal anxiety over time.
Methods
Prospective longitudinal cohort study of 2243 women who completed five screening questionnaires of anxiety and mental health symptoms in early pregnancy (11 weeks), mid-pregnancy (23 weeks), late pregnancy (32 weeks) and postnatally (8 weeks). Anxiety and mental health questionnaires were the GAD7, GAD2, SAAS, CORE-10 and Whooley questions. To establish presence of anxiety disorders diagnostic interviews were conducted with a subsample of 403 participants.
Results
Early pregnancy was the optimal time to screen for anxiety to identify women with anxiety disorders and women wanting treatment at any time during pregnancy or postnatally. These findings were consistent across all five questionnaires of anxiety and mental health. Receiving treatment for perinatal mental health problems was most strongly associated with late pregnancy and/or postnatal assessments. Anxiety symptoms were highest in early pregnancy and decreased over time.
Conclusion
Findings show that screening in early pregnancy is optimal for identifying women who have, or develop, anxiety disorders and who want treatment. This has clear implications for practice and policy for anxiety screening during the perinatal period.
Details
- Title
- When is the best time to screen for perinatal anxiety? A longitudinal cohort study
- Creators
- Susan Ayers - University of LondonAndrea Sinesi - University of StirlingRose Coates - University of LondonHelen Cheyne - University of StirlingMargaret Maxwell - University of StirlingCatherine Best - University of StirlingStacey McNicol - University of StirlingLouise R Williams - University of LondonNazihah Uddin - University of LondonJudy ShakespeareFiona Alderdice - University of Oxfordthe MAP Study Team
- Contributors
- Simon Gilbody (Researcher)Agnes Hann (Researcher)Jennifer Holly (Researcher)Grace Howard (Researcher)Una Hutton (Researcher)Julie Jomeen (Researcher) - Southern Cross University, NursingRachael Leonard (Researcher)Sarah McMullen (Researcher)Debra Salmon (Researcher)James Walker (Researcher)
- Publication Details
- Journal of anxiety disorders, Vol.103, 102841
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd; OXFORD
- Grant note
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) , Health Services & Delivery Research Programme: NIHR 17/105/16
This study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) , Health Services & Delivery Research Programme (NIHR 17/105/16) . The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
- Identifiers
- 991013203813202368
- Copyright
- © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Academic Unit
- Nursing; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article