STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN WOMEN WITH PRIMIGRAVADA: A STUDY ON PAKISTANI WOMEN

OBJECTIVES: To examine psychosocial predictors of perceived stress, anxiety and depression in women with first-time pregnancy. METHODS: Sample included 80 women with first pregnancy within the age range of 19-31years, taken from major hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. Measures comprised of Perceived Stress Scale, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and Pregnancy Phase Anxiety Scale. RESULTS: Mean age of the husbands was 29.04+-3.94 years, mean duration of marriage was 17.74+-14.06 years, and mean education duration was 12.99+-3.32 years for wives and 13.86+-2.26 years for husbands. Mean score of perceived stress, depression and anxiety was 28.91+5.48, 52.80+-8.60 and 130.43+33.04 respectively. Age of the women and husband had significant positive relationship with perceived stress and depression (p 0.01). Model I 2 showed that anxiety emerged as significant predictor of stress (R^2 =.45, F=63.61, ∆R^2 =.45, p 0.01). Similarly, second model of perceived stress showed that anxiety and depression emerged as the significant predictors of stress (R =.51, F=39.25, ∆R^2 =.07, p 0.01). The third model that marital 2 duration of the women as another predictor of stress (R =.54, F=29.22, ∆R^2 =.03, p 0.01). The results showed a significant positive relationship between perceived stress, anxiety and depression. Age of the husband had significant positive relationship with perceived stress while it had no significant relationship with depression and anxiety of the women. CONCLUSION: Stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy are significantly correlated in first time pregnant women. Women from early age groups report greater anxiety, depression and stress during first time pregnancy. Depression has propensity to cause stress in first time pregnant women.