Characterizing Mental Health Status of Couples in High-Risk Pregnancy and its Relevant Characteristics

Considering the increasing morbidity and mortality in high-risk pregnancies, it is essential to identify the mental health status of women during their pregnancy since this type of pregnancy is associated with the stress for the women and also their spouses. The present study was designed to determine the mental health status of the couples in high-risk pregnancies and its respective characteristics. This cross-sectional study was conducted on couples faced with high-risk pregnancy situations in hospitals and public health centers of Gorgan during 2016-2017. The sample size included 375 couples who were selected by cluster random sampling technique based on the inclusion criteria. Four questionnaires were used to collect the required data. Descriptive and analytical statistics were employed to analyze the obtained data. The results of the study showed that 31.7% of mothers and 25.6% of fathers had mental disorders in high-risk pregnancy situations. Examining the mental health relevant characteristics, the findings indicated an inverse relationship among the following variables: duration of marriage (P = 0.041), number of children (P = 0.050), maternal age (P = 0.018), number of previous pregnancies (P = 0.032), age of the spouse (P = 0.013), gestational age (P = 0.12), social support (P = 0.001), and the mean score of pregnant women’ mental health. It was found that the above-mentioned factors were associated with an improved mental health. The mean scores for the spouse’s mental health (P = 0.000), the need for counseling (P = 0.12), opening the pregnancy file before the first trimester (P = 0.015), and concern (P = 0.000) were found to have a direct relationship with the mean score of the pregnant women’ mental health. Checking mental health during prenatal care is recommended to promote the mental health status of the couples encountered with high-risk pregnancy.