ASSESSING PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF PREGNANT WOMEN ADMITTED TO HEALTH CENTERS IN TEHRAN(2002)

Multiple studies have demonstrated more common psychological disorders in women than in men, but it is worth mentioning that these studies have been done generally and they are not specific to pregnant women. This study was conducted to assess psychological state of pregnant women and its related factors. It was carried out as a cross-sectional survey in 4 health centers(under supervision of north, south, west and east health centers of Tehran) and in Shahid Akbarabadi Hospital center on 1452 pregnant women. Psychological evaluations were performed using SCL-90-R self-administered questionnaire. The mean score of each dimension was calculated and respondents were classified as having no, mild, moderate or severe symptoms. To determine the related factors, logistic regression method was applied. The moderate or severe symptoms (cut off >2) in pregnant women were ranked, due to their prevalence, as somatization(10.6%), depression (10.5%), paranoid view(10.1%), anxiety(9.5%), interpersonal sensitivity (8.8%), hostility(6.6%), obsession & compulsion (5.4%), phobia (4.7%) and psychotic thinking (3.2%). The prevalence of moderate to severe mental disorders(GSI>2) was estimated 5%. Among fertility factors (gravity, nulliparity, history of abortion and history of infertility) infertility was the most relevant factor with mental symptoms. Although prevalence of psychological disorders among pregnant women can be due to several factors like age and sex, part of it may be due to their pregnancy state. This is especially important in high-risk cases with a history of infertility or abortion. In general, pregnancy provides an appropriate opportunity for evaluation and screening of mental disorders in women who have not referred to any medical centers for this purpose. Therefore, integration of psychological counseling in prenatal care programs is recommended.