Mental status evaluation of women with children suffering from perinatal pathology

Abstract

The purpose of the research is exploring the mental status and adaptation system of the individual in women whose children were treated for perinatal diseases. Research methods: clinical and psychopathological; PHQ-9 questionnaire, Life Styles Index methodologies, Methods for psychological diagnostics of coping with stressful and problem situations for a person. The study material - 30 women whose children were born in the Perinatal Center of Saint-Petersburg State Medical University. The main group consisted of 13 women whose children were in the clinic of the St. Petersburg State Medical University for examination and active (including surgical) treatment, due to diseases of the perinatal period. The comparison group consisted of 17 women with healthy children. The survey was conducted twice - in the first week after birth and 1 month after birth. Results: in more than half of cases (8 people), the condition of women was regarded as an alarming depression, in more than a third of cases (5 people), obsessive states were noted, the contents of which were illness or death of the newborn, an accident with relatives, fear of causing harm to the child and etc. During the initial examination, the PHQ-9 values of the main group and the comparison group did not differ significantly (p=0,592 in Mann-Whitney), while re examining higher numbers were observed in women of the main group (p = 0.0001 in Mann-Whitney ). The condition of the patients of the main group corresponded to the level of moderate depression. The average value of the PHQ-9 scale 1 month after the initial examination increased (p=0,005 according to the Wilcoxon criterion), which corresponded to the deterioration of the patient's mental state. The study of the personality adaptation system revealed the predominance of regressive substitution forms of psychological protection in the main group, corresponding to the state of mental disadaptation. The main group also revealed a greater degree of coping strategies “confrontation” and “distancing”, indicating non constructive ways of solving problems in the studied patients. Taking into account the variability of symptoms of mental disorder in women, which is largely dependent on the health of children, the condition of women at the stage of this survey was defined as a depressive or anxious adaptive response.