Examination of Risk of Depression and Perception of Social Support in Pregnant Women Undergoing Intrauterine Intervention

Abstract

Background: Interventions during pregnancy might increase the risk of depression becausethey may cause anxiety and stress in the mother. In these cases, it is important to provide social support to pregnant women.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the relationship between the risk of depression and the perception of social support in pregnant women who had undergone intrauterine intervention (IUI).

Methods: The population of this descriptive study consisted of all pregnant women (n = 267) who attended a state hospital in Izmir between March and September 2022 and who had undergone IUI. Data were obtained using a sociodemographic data form, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test were used in the study.

Results: In this study, of the women, 42.7% had ≥3 pregnancies; the gestational week of 93.6% of the pregnant women was between 13-24 weeks. The mean scores of the pregnant women were 11.12 ± 8.04 on the BDI and 61.06 ± 19.84 on the MSPSS. According to the results of the correlation analysis, there was a weak (<0.05) negative reverse correlation between the scales.

Conclusions: In the results of this study, it has been determined that as perceived social support increases in pregnant women, symptoms of depression are less likely to occur. This result is important in terms of indicating the need for providing social support to pregnant women. Women should be able to identify depression risk factors during this process to receive appropriate care and support.