Psychological Assessment of Primiparous Women During the Ante & Postnatal Period a Longitudinal Study of 3 Years

Mental health problems during the pregnancy is very common which needs to be identified and should be treated to improve the functional capacity of new mothers. 250 primiparous young women in their reproductive age group were selected for the study out of which 239 women were analysed for the first follow up schedule and 226 women at 6 weeks postpartum. Most of the study group subjects are graduate/postgraduate and belonged to the upper middle class income group (according to Kuppuswami's socioeconomic status) and non-working. Hamilton Depression Rating and Beck Anxiety Inventory measures were used for depression and anxiety measurement for the subjects. Overall anxiety and depression level of new mothers were low since the base line registration i.e.1316 weeks of pregnancy and reduces over the time. Study shows that new mothers are anxious about the baby weight irrespective of gender of the neonates. Our study concludes that educated women are emanicipated to express their emotional and mental conflicts during the important life transitions such as pregnancy and child birth. A protective environment, adequate social support and cost effective medical treatment certainly reduces the perinatal anxiety and depression. Summing up it is evident that nature and nurture both contribute to life span development of human being.