The Prevalence of Pregnancy-Specific Perinatal Anxiety in Nova Scotia

OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy-Specific Perinatal Anxiety (PSPA) is an understudied mental health condition of pregnancy that may affect maternal-fetal health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of PSPA among pregnant women in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, as well as the factors associated with it. METHODS: A sample of 90 pregnant women provided data on PSPA symptomology and demographic co-variables via a self-report online survey. The prevalence of PSPA in the sample was calculated and bivariate statistics and binomial logistic regression were conducted to assess the relationship between the presence of PSPA and the independent variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of PSPA in our sample was 17.8%. Smoking during pregnancy and a pre-pregnancy diagnosis of anxiety were significantly associated with meeting the criteria for PSPA (p = 0.008 and p = 0.013, respectively) and strongly predicted the presence of PSPA (odds ratio 8.54 and 3.44, respectively). CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: A significant proportion of participants in our sample experienced symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of PSPA. This underscores the importance of further research on PSPA as a unique phenomenon in pregnant women, and the impact it may have on fetal and maternal health outcomes. A greater clinical emphasis should be placed on screening for and treating mental health conditions of pregnancy, including PSPA.