Severe antenatal depressive symptoms before and after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Chengdu, China.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence and correlates of severe antenatal depressive symptoms among pregnant women in Chengdu before and after the Wenchuan earthquake.


METHODS
An exploratory and comparative cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Four regional public hospitals in Chengdu located 90 km from the epicenter of the Wenchuan earthquake.


METHODS
The convenience sample was composed of 1,156 pregnant women at 12 to 24 weeks' gestation.


METHODS
The women were identified as having depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Marital conflict and parent-in-law conflict were assessed using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and the Stryker Adjustment Checklist (SAC), respectively. The Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) was used to measure the functional aspects of the perceived availability of social support.


RESULTS
Using the EPDS with a cutoff score of 14/15 for severe symptoms of depression, 9.2% and 7.1% of the women screened positive before and after the earthquake. Women who had been married for a shorter time were more likely to have depressive symptoms before the earthquake; those who had lived in Chengdu for a shorter period and who had more infants were more likely to suffer after it. Marital conflict and lack of social support were consistent risk factors before and after the earthquake.


CONCLUSIONS
Additional research is needed to investigate the long-term, earthquake-related psychopathology. Nurses should receive more education about disaster-related psychological health skills to provide more effective prenatal screening and intervene successfully to assist women to optimize their psychological health status after a disaster.
School of Health Sciences, Macao Polytechnic Institute, No. 335-341 Alameda Dr. Carlos D'Assumpcao, Macau SAR, China. ylau@ipm.edu.mo
Ying
Y
Lau
Lei
L
Yin
Yuqiong
Y
Wang
D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult