The relation of life stress and social support to emotional disequilibrium during pregnancy

Res Nurs Health. 1983 Dec;6(4):167-74. doi: 10.1002/nur.4770060404.

Abstract

A convenience sample of 141 medically normal adult women in the mid-trimester of pregnancy were tested with standardized instruments during a routine prenatal visit. Life stress was measured for the 12-month-period preceding testing. The dependent variable, emotional disequilibrium, was a factor-analyzed construct derived from measures of state anxiety, trait anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Life stress accounted for 29.71% of the variance in emotional disequilibrium (p = .0001), and social support accounted for a separate and non-interactive 3.11% of the variance (p = .01). Emotional disequilibrium in pregnancy decreased as a function of decreasing life stress and increasing social support.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Affective Symptoms / psychology*
  • Depression / psychology
  • Educational Status
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / psychology*
  • Psychological Tests
  • Sampling Studies
  • Self Concept
  • Social Environment*
  • Social Support*
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology*