Mental health of pregnant women referred to Khorramabad health centers

Many physical and psychological changes occur in women during pregnancy; and this period has been conceptualized as a time of vulnerability for women. The present study aimed at determining the mental health status of pregnant women. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 280 pregnant women serviced by Khorramabad health care centers were assessed. Random sampling method was used to select the health care centers, and the women were selected by systematic sampling. The research instrument was the standard GHQ questionnaire. Then the data were analyzed by one way variance analysis and t test using the SPSS software. The findings showed that 43.6%of the pregnant women were suspected in terms of mental health. The highest frequency was found for social function (7.81) and the lowest belonged to depression (2.86).There was a significant relationship between mental health of the pregnant women with unwanted pregnancy and gender of fetus. Furthermore, anxiety in the women in the third trimester of pregnancy was significantly higher than those in the first trimester of pregnancy (p<0.05). Regarding the importance of mental health of pregnant women and its effects on fetus and newborn, integration of psychological counseling in prenatal care programs is recommended.