Abstract
African American women may be especially vulnerable to antepartum depression, a major health concern during pregnancy. This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms in a sample of African American women who were between 14-17 weeks pregnant, a timeframe that is typically thought to be a time of general well-being. Two-thirds reported a CES-D score ≥ 16 indicative of depressive symptomatology. Age, perceived stress (as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]), and anxiety (as measured by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]) predicted depressive symptoms; the interaction between PSS and STAI scores was also a significant predictor. Our study findings suggest that early identification of stress and anxiety, in addition to depressive symptoms, is vital for intervention with this group.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 860-869 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Issues in mental health nursing |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2 2015 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Phychiatric Mental Health