The impact of resilience on psychological outcomes in women after preeclampsia: an observational cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Preeclampsia is a frequent obstetric complication which affects the mother`s and the fetus's health and can be life threatening. It also has an impact on psychological outcomes. There may be protective variables such as resilience shielding against psychosocial distress in women experiencing these pregnancy complications. The aim of this study was to examine differences in resilience in terms of quality of life, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms in women after preeclampsia.


METHODS
Four international validated questionnaires were used to measure the psychological outcomes (Medical Outcome Study Short-Form SF12, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale EPDS, Resilience Scale RS13, Impact of Event Scale IES-R). Statistical analyses were performed using independent-samples t-test and chi-square test.


RESULTS
67 women with previous preeclampsia returned the questionnaires. Women with high resilience showed significantly less depression (p = 0.001) and better mental quality of life (p = 0.002) compared to women with low resilience. No group differences were found on the medical and socio-demographic characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
Resilience has an important impact on the psychological outcomes in women after preeclampsia. A screening for resilience, depression and quality of life may be appropriate to identify these women.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University of Graz, Augenbruggerplatz 14, Graz A-8036, Austria. eva.mautner@klinikum-graz.at.
Eva
E
Mautner
Christina
C
Stern
Maria
M
Deutsch
Eva
E
Nagele
Elfriede
E
Greimel
Uwe
U
Lang
Mila
M
Cervar-Zivkovic
D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult