title: Comorbid depression and anxiety effects on pregnancy and neonatal outcome.
abstract: The effects of comorbid depression and anxiety were compared to the effects of depression alone and anxiety alone on pregnancy mood states and biochemistry and on neonatal outcomes in a large multi-ethnic sample. At the prenatal period the comorbid and depressed groups had higher scores than the other groups on the depression measure. But, the comorbid group had higher anxiety, anger and daily hassles scores than the other groups, and they had lower dopamine levels. As compared to the non-depressed group, they also reported more sleep disturbances and relationship problems. The comorbid group also experienced a greater incidence of prematurity than the depressed, the high anxiety and the non-depressed groups. Although the comorbid and anxiety groups were lower birthweight than the non-depressed and depressed groups, the comorbid group did not differ from the depressed and anxiety groups on birth length. The neonates of the comorbid and depressed groups had higher cortisol and norepinephrine and lower dopamine and serotonin levels than the neonates of the anxiety and non-depressed groups as well as greater relative right frontal EEG. These data suggest that for some measures comorbidity of depression and anxiety is the worst condition (e.g., incidence of prematurity), while for others, comorbidity is no more impactful than depression alone.
authors: Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Medical School, United States. tfield@med.miami.edu
authors: Tiffany
authors: T
authors: Field
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: Diego
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Hernandez-Reif
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Figueiredo
authors: Osvelia
authors: O
authors: Deeds
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Ascencio
authors: Saul
authors: S
authors: Schanberg
authors: Cynthia
authors: C
authors: Kuhn
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000523:psychology; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000209:etiology*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000523:psychology; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012016:Reference Values