Network analysis of depression and anxiety symptoms and their associations with cognitive fusion among pregnant women.

BACKGROUND

Pregnant women often exhibit comorbidities of depression and anxiety, adversely affecting maternal and foetal health. Cognitive fusion is a cognitive process in which individuals excessively identify with ideas, and it is closely related to depression and anxiety; however, their symptom-level associations are still unclear. Network analysis provides a robust method to reveal important associations between symptoms. This study employed network analysis to explore the characteristics of depression and anxiety symptoms in pregnant women and their relationship with cognitive fusion.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2021 to August 2023 at two Asian hospital obstetric outpatient clinics in Guangzhou and Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China, and included a total of 1691 pregnant women. Depression, anxiety symptoms and cognitive fusion were measured with the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire-Fusion (CFQ-F), respectively. Central and bridge symptoms were identified via centrality indices and bridge centrality indices. Network stability and accuracy were estimated.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depression (EPDS score ≥ 9) was 43.00% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.60-45.40%), the prevalence of anxiety (GAD-7 score ≥ 7) was 31.70% (95% CI: 29.50-33.90%), and the prevalence of comorbid depression and anxiety (EPDS score ≥ 9 and GAD-7 score ≥ 7) was 25.00% (95% CI: 22.90-27.10%). "Sad or miserable", "trouble relaxing" and "scared or panicked" were the central symptoms in the whole depression‒anxiety network. "Feeling afraid", "scared or panicked" and "trouble relaxing" were the key bridge symptoms linking depression and anxiety. Three symptoms ("excessive worry", "nervousness" and "sleep difficulties") were the strongest edges connected to cognitive fusion.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified the central and bridging symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnant women using network analysis, as well as their relationships with cognitive fusion. The results highlight the clinical relevance of these symptoms in perinatal mental health management. Close monitoring of these symptoms may be crucial for reducing depression and anxiety in pregnant women. Further research is needed to verify whether these symptoms are actionable treatment priorities.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.