title: Psychosocial aspects of invasive fetal therapy as compared to prenatal diagnosis and risk assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the psychosocial impact of invasive fetal therapy (FT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 100 consecutive patients scheduled for invasive FT. Contemporary controls were women undergoing (1) invasive prenatal diagnosis (AC/CVS) and (2) first trimester risk assessment of aneuploidy (NT), and (3) women who declined the latter (CTR). Prior to the procedure, participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory II, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and a questionnaire specifically designed to evaluate the process preceding the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five percent of women in the FT group had mild to severe depressive symptoms, and 30% showed high levels of state anxiety. Mean state anxiety was significantly higher in women facing invasive as compared to non-invasive procedures. Trait anxiety levels and relationship scores were comparable across all groups. FT patients were more satisfied with the information and support given, whereas women in the NT group felt a greater degree of self-determination and contentedness with the choices they made.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pregnant women awaiting invasive prenatal diagnosis and FT face higher levels of state anxiety than women undergoing non-invasive procedures. Traits of depression and high state anxiety are found in at least one third of women undergoing FT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Development and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Opdekamp
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enzlin
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Doné
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gucciardo
authors.forename: Najima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El Handouni
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Mieghem
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lewi
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deprest
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D046128:Fetal Therapies / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055815:Young Adult