Examining Mental Symptoms According to Physical Health Problems in Pregnant Women: A Descriptive Study

Objective: Although pregnancy is a natural life crisis for every woman, physical and physiological changes specific to pregnancy, the presence of the baby in the womb, differences in family and social life can cause various psychosocial reactions during pregnancy. Although mental symptoms are quite common in pregnant women, pregnancy symptoms are generally focused on pregnancy follow-up, and the psychosocial aspect of pregnancy is ignored. The aim of this study is to examine mental symptoms in pregnant women according to physical health problems. Material and Methods: This study employed a descriptive design, and was conducted in the Gynecology and Obstetrics Poly clinics of the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Health, Practice and Research Hospital, and Çanakkale State State Hospital, between March and December 2017 and 713 pregnant women participated in the study. The data were collected by face to face interview method using the Questionnaire Form and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Interviews with pregnant women for data collection took an average of 30 minutes. Results: The symptoms of anxiety, depression, negative self, somatization, and hostility were significantly higher in pregnant women with fatigue, headache, sleep problems, shoulder-neck pain, breast problems, urinary incontinence, vomiting, muscle cramps, excess-weight gain, and movement restrictions. Constipation and hemorrhoid problems did not significantly affect mental symptoms. Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that physical health problems in pregnant women affect the severity of symptoms of anxiety, depression, somatization, negative self, and hostility in pregnant women. The interaction of mental symptoms experienced during pregnancy with physical health problems should be considered. It is thought that evaluating pregnant women with a holistic perspective and providing care services with this approach will positively affect the health of pregnant women.