Prevalence of generalized anxiety at eight weeks postpartum.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the prevalence and nature of generalized anxiety symptoms in women who were eight weeks postpartum.


METHODS
A community-based sample of 68 postpartum women completed an interview assessing generalized anxiety disorder and depression and a self-report measure of worry associated with concerns relevant to postpartum women.


RESULTS
Three women (4.4%) met DSM-IV criteria for generalized anxiety disorder, and an additional 19 women (27.9%) endorsed subsyndromal difficulties with generalized anxiety. Approximately one third of these women endorsed symptoms of depression. In contrast, only two woman met criteria for major depressive disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
Postpartum generalized anxiety has a higher prevalence than postpartum depression.
Wenzel
A
A
Department of Psychology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks 58202-8380, USA. amy_wenzel@und.nodak.edu
Haugen
E N
EN
Jackson
L C
LC
Robinson
K
K
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires