title: Predictors of anxiety among pregnant New Zealand women hospitalised for complications and a community comparison group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to investigate predictors of anxiety for women experiencing hospitalisation during pregnancy and a comparison group of pregnant women (with or without medical complications) in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  correlational, cross-sectional observational questionnaire study.
  
  
  METHODS
  regional antenatal inpatient unit and community-based settings in New Zealand in 2009 and 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  118 pregnant women in hospital and 114 pregnant women in community.
  
  
  RESULTS
  women in hospital and community groups completed a battery of questionnaires on pregnancy and health history, life events, anxiety, optimism, coping, and relationship factors. Midwives caring for the women provided ratings of health status and psychological distress. Both groups of women had scores on state anxiety significantly above local norms; women in the hospital were significantly higher than those in the community on state anxiety and worry about their pregnancy. The groups did not differ on factors such as life events, optimism, and coping self-efficacy. Ratings of health and distress made by women and their midwives showed poor agreement. Predictors of acute anxiety differed across the groups: for hospitalised women, anxiety was predicted by their rating of their health and their dispositional optimism; for women in the community, anxiety was predicted by stressful life events, dispositional optimism, and coping self-efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  many women hospitalised during pregnancy are extremely anxious, and those most vulnerable are those who are less optimistic and see their health as poor. Health care professionals may not be aware of how anxious women are, and women and their hospital caregivers had poor agreement on ratings of the woman׳s health status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  women hospitalised during pregnancy are at risk for high levels of anxiety. Midwives are well placed to help women by recognising their distress, supporting informed optimism, and guiding women toward realistic coping strategies and using existing social support networks. Research is needed on strategies for implementation and effectiveness of brief interventions to support women to manage anxiety and stress during pregnancy both in hospital and in the community.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand. Electronic address: ccbarber@waikato.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Carol Cornsweet
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nicola J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Starkey
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Distress; Medical complications; Mental health; Optimism