Mam,
Anxiety and coping tactics among high-risk women during pregnancy are vital variables influencing both maternal and fetal well-being.[1] Approximately, 10% of all pregnancies are deemed high-risk.[2]
High-risk pregnancies can lead to increased stress and anxiety among expectant mothers.[3] Factors such as maternal-fetal attachment and the relationship with the father of the baby can also influence anxiety levels during pregnancy.[4,5] Coping tactics, including religious coping, play a role in managing anxiety levels, especially in high-risk pregnancies. Mothers with low levels of coping can experience postnatal mood disorders.[6] The researcher explored the various coping tactics high-risk pregnancies adopt to deal with challenges.
A quantitative study was led to assess the anxiety and coping tactics among high-risk pregnancy mothers at Saveetha Medical College Hospital. The population consisted of all high-risk pregnancy mothers. The sample size was 60 mothers who met the inclusion criteria. The samples were selected by nonprobability purposive sampling technique. Ethical clearance for the study was obtained from the institutional ethical committee. The structured interview method was used to collect the demographical variables, the level of anxiety was assessed by generalized anxiety disorder (GAD – 2), and Brief-COPE Inventory was to assess the various coping tactics used by the antenatal mothers. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The present study results show that 53 (88.3%) had a high level of anxiety and 7 (11.7%) had a low level of anxiety. Because of the coping tactics used by the antenatal mothers, 31 (51.7%) had maladaptive coping and 29 (48.3%) had adaptive coping. The mean anxiety score was 3.41 ± 0.88, and the mean score of coping tactics was 52.58 ± 20.82. The calculated Karl Pearson’s correlation value of r = -0.409 shows a negative correlation between anxiety and coping tactics, which was found to be statistically significant at P < 0.001 level. This infers that when the coping tactics among the high-risk pregnancy mothers increase, which ultimately reduces the anxiety among them.
The present study suggests that family, spouse, peers, neighbors, colleagues, and healthcare providers can all provide social and emotional support throughout pregnancy, which can boost overall health.
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Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interests.
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