Relationship of coping ways and anxiety with Pregnancy Specific-stress

Objectives: To explore whether coping strategies and general anxiety are associated with pregnancy-specific stress (PSS) and how much of variance of PSS is explained with these variables.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at two teaching hospitals between November 2013 and December 2015. Total 190 pregnant women (60 women at 6-13-weeks of gestation, 60 at 13-26 weeks, and 70 at 27-40 weeks of gestation) completed the study. The participants completed three questionnaires including; Pregnancy experience scale (PES-41), Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ), and State-Trait anxiety inventory (SATI). Pearson coefficients and analysis of regression was done to assess the correlations between variables.

Results: Pregnant women who experienced higher mean level of pregnancy specific-stress had significantly higher mean level of occult anxiety, overt anxiety, and total anxiety than women who did not experience PSS. Although there was a positive and significant relationship between intensity of hassles and uplifts and ways of coping, the correlation between PSS and ways of coping was not significant. The results of analysis regression showed that general anxiety during pregnancy predicted 25% of the variance of PSS (F=4.480, β=0.159). Also, ways of coping predicted 38% of the variance in pregnancy Hassles (F=7.033, β=0.194).

Conclusion: The ways of coping predicted the variance of pregnancy hassles, but does not evaluate pregnancy specific-stress. To think about PSS in terms of general anxiety may help to clarify past findings and to guide future research and interventions.