title: Depression and anxiety disorders during multiple pregnancy and parenthood.
abstract: Depression or anxiety disorders may affect more than 25% of multiple birth parents during the perinatal period. Such parents often are uninformed, suffer in silence and fear, and are reticent to seek help. When depression, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are not recognized or are left untreated, parent health, parent-infants interaction, child development, and family stability may be seriously compromised. Nurses, as partners in care at the family and community levels, have a pivotal role to play in prevention-focused health, education, and social support programs; the identification of parents at risk; and the early recognition and support of women and families affected by these disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Leonard
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009099:Multiple Birth Offspring / Q000523:psychology*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors