Antecedents of maternal pregnancy-related anxiety trajectories: The FinnBrain birth cohort study

Anja C. Huizink*, Dora Lammassaari, Saara Nolvi, Riikka Korja, Linnea Karlsson, Hasse Karlsson, Eeva Leena Kataja

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Objective: Little is known about the normative courses of pregnancy-related anxiety throughout pregnancy and their antecedents. We examined in a large scale pregnancy cohort which potentially distinct trajectories of pregnancy-related anxiety across pregnancy can be identified, and which factors predict these trajectories. Methods: A general sample of pregnant women (n = 2928) from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort participated in this study. Several questionnaires were filled in at 14, 24, and 34 weeks of gestation, including the pregnancy-related anxiety questionnaire-revised as main outcome. Latent Growth Mixture Modeling was applied to identify the trajectories of pregnancy-related anxiety across pregnancy, and t-tests and chi-quare tests were conducted to find antecedents of these trajectories. Results: Two distinct trajectories were identified: (1) a low symptoms group, N = 2594 (88.6%), with lower and slightly increasing levels of pregnancy-related anxiety (2) a moderately-high symptoms group, N = 334 (11.4%) reported higher and slightly decreasing levels of anxiety. Correlates of the moderately-high anxious group included a lower monthly income, drinking alcohol or smoking in early pregnancy, more daily hassles and less joy, more early life adversities, younger age, primiparity, single parenthood, using depression medication, and having higher scores on depression and general anxiety. Conclusions: Although the majority of pregnant women fall within a low risk trajectory of pregnancy-related anxiety, another group with consistently higher levels of pregnancy anxiety throughout pregnancy may need more clinical attention, as their high pregnancy-related anxiety scores may indicate a risk profile that includes a variety of general and more pregnancy-specific risk factors, which together can negatively affect fetal and infant development and behavior.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)334-343
Number of pages10
JournalActa Psychiatrica Scandinavica
Volume150
Issue number5
Early online date18 Feb 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2024

Bibliographical note

This article belongs to the Special Issue: Perinatal Mental Health.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Funding

FundersFunder number
Research Council of Finland325292, 134950, Profi5, 317080, 253270
Research Council of Finland
Signe ja Ane Gyllenbergin Säätiö34612, 308252
Signe ja Ane Gyllenbergin Säätiö
ELK Academy of Finland346790

    Keywords

    • early adversities
    • general risk factors
    • latent growth trajories
    • pregnancy-related anxiety

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