Epidemiology of antenatal depression among women with high-risk pregnancies due to obstetric complications: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: Antenatal depression is a common mental health problem among pregnant women that negatively affects maternal and neonatal outcomes. Women with obstetric complications, defined as high-risk pregnancies, seem to be at particularly increased risk for developing depressive symptomatology. The purpose of this study was to review the prevalence of antenatal depression among pregnant women with obstetric complications and to identify possible associated factors.

METHODS

A literature search was performed in the PubMed database and a scoping review was conducted to identify studies with data on the prevalence of antenatal depression and associated factors among high-risk pregnancies due to obstetric complications. The included studies were written in English and published up to 31/12/2018.

RESULTS

The prevalence of antenatal depression among pregnant women with high-risk pregnancies ranges from 12.5 to 44.2% among the reviewed studies. The associated factors significantly associated with antenatal depression include maternal age, maternal education, dwelling place, relationship with the partner, previous psychiatric diagnosis, perceived stress, antenatal attachment, abortion thoughts, smoking, diabetes, parity, number of pregnancies, gestational age, threatened preterm labour, preeclampsia and oligohydramnios.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate a high prevalence of depressive disorders in women with obstetric complications, suggesting the need for more rigorous screening among this population. The identification of associated factors also merits clinical attention. Further research is warranted to develop evidence-based effective screening strategies and relevant interventions.