Source/Disclosures
GuoY, et al. Abstract 325. Presented at: ACOG Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting; May 6-8, 2022; San Diego.
Disclosures: Guo does not report relevant financial disclosures.
SAN DIEGO — Social support and mindfulness practices may improve the mental health of pregnant Hispanic women, according to a small study presented at ACOG’s annual clinical and scientific meeting.
“Our study funded by the National Science Foundation indicated that higher social support was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms and higher consciousness was associated with a lower level of anxiety symptoms in pregnant Hispanic women,” Yuqing Guo, male nurse, Doctor, associate professor at the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at the University of California, Irvine, and lead author of the study, told Healio.
The cross-sectional study included 15 pregnant Hispanic women who completed validated surveys, specifically, the Patient Health Questionnaire-8, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, and Coping Self-Efficacy.
13.3% of the women experienced prenatal depression and/or anxiety.
Higher mindfulness was significantly associated with lower levels of anxiety, after controlling for maternal education, while higher coping self-efficacy was significantly associated with lower levels of depression.
“For Hispanic pregnant women who feel anxious, doctors can encourage them to practice mindfulness to ease their symptoms,” Guo said. “For pregnant women who are feeling depressed, clinicians can assess the sources and levels of social support they receive and then encourage them to seek support from partners, family, friends, or professional help.”
Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
