title: Experiences with a psychological help service for women following a prenatal diagnosis: results of a follow-up study.
abstract: The aim of this study is to provide a description of a psychological help service for women following a prenatal diagnosis at the Division of Prenatal Diagnosis and Therapy at Vienna University Hospital. The investigation group consisted of 77 psychologically treated women. The follow-up took place six months after the first contact. For baseline evaluation the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a mood scale and a documentation instrument were used. In the follow-up patients were again investigated by the test inventory and the Freiburger Coping Behavior Scale and a special follow-up instrument. The women showed extreme high scores of general mood scale and state anxiety compared with a normal population. After six months the scores had decreased significantly. Approximately 56% of the patients showed former prenatal incidents in their case histories. A significant correlation was found between the use of negative coping strategies and the development of somatic problems and changes in the private life in the follow-up period. In total 97% of the women quoted the psychological treatment as very important for coping with the prenatal incident and 100% of the women stressed the implementation of a permanent psychological help service. In conclusion, psychological treatment should be available in the event of a prenatal diagnosis, if necessary with the partner. Special attention should be given to women traumatized by a former prenatal incident.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. katharina.leithner@akh-wien.ac.at
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leithner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maar
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maritsch
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001317:Austria; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011613:Psychotherapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome