Prevalence and onset of anxiety and related disorders throughout pregnancy: A prospective study in an Australian sample

Kirupamani Viswasam*, David Berle, Denise Milicevic, Vladan Starcevic

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and related disorders (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]) and major depressive disorder (MDD) at any time during pregnancy and during each pregnancy trimester and ascertain the proportions of women with an onset of these disorders during pregnancy. Several questionnaires and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview were administered to 200 women at each pregnancy trimester. Complete data were obtained from 148 participants. The most prevalent anxiety disorder at any time during pregnancy was panic disorder (PD), followed by generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and OCD. Unlike all the other disorders, the prevalence rates of OCD increased steadily from the first to the third trimester. Approximately one half of women with OCD and about one third of women with PD, GAD and MDD at any time during pregnancy had an onset of these disorders during pregnancy. Pregnancy may be a risk factor for an onset of OCD and to a lesser extent, for an onset of PD, GAD and MDD. Absence of remission of OCD during pregnancy despite treatment may suggest treatment resistance of OCD at this time. These findings have implications for recognition, prevention and treatment of anxiety disorders during pregnancy.

Original languageEnglish
Article number113721
JournalPsychiatry Research
Volume297
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2021
Externally publishedYes

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