A psychosomatic intervention in pregnant in-patient women with prenatal somatic risks.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether a short-term psychosomatic intervention during pregnancy had effects on characteristics of labour and delivery as well as on the long-term course of anxiety, depression and physical complaints in pregnant in-patient women.


METHODS
All gynaecological and obstetric inpatients of a university hospital, who had either exhibited complications during their pregnancy or were considered high-risk pregnancies, were examined. Symptoms of anxiety and depression (HADS) and physical symptoms (GBB) were assessed by standardised questionnaires. Women with elevated scores on either the HADS or the GBB were randomly assigned to either a treatment group, which had received a psychosomatic intervention or an untreated control group. Of the n = 238 women who were assessed during their stay in our hospital, n = 135 were included in the follow-up 1-year later.


RESULTS
More than one-third of the participants (38.7%) had elevated scores of anxiety, depression and/or physical symptoms. The psychosomatic intervention had a significant effect on anxiety scores (p = 0.006), but not on depression scores, physical complaints and characteristics of labour and delivery.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that a short-term psychosomatic intervention can have a positive long-term effect on anxiety symptoms. Future studies are needed to show whether the reduction of anxiety symptoms in turn can lead to a reduction of postnatal complications and lower rates of disturbed mother-child interactions.
Weidner
Kerstin
K
Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany. kerstin.weidner@uniklinikum-dresden.de
Bittner
Antje
A
Junge-Hoffmeister
Juliane
J
Zimmermann
Katrin
K
Siedentopf
Friederike
F
Richter
Judith
J
Joraschky
Peter
P
Gatzweiler
Axel
A
Stöbel-Richter
Yve
Y
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome