Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Is a diagnosis associated with an increase in maternal anxiety and stress in the short and intermediate term?
- Suzie Daniells, MSC1,
- Brin F. S. Grenyer, PHD2,
- Warren S. Davis, FRACOG3,
- Keith J. Coleman, FRACOG3,
- Julie-Anne P. Burgess, MSC1 and
- Robert G. Moses, MD1
- 1Diabetes Service, Illawarra Area Health Service, Wollongong, Australia
- 2Department of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
- 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Illawarra Area Health Service, Wollongong, Australia
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—To examine anxiety levels of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to compare these with glucose-tolerant (GT) women at similar stages of pregnancy.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Prospective longitudinal study conducted on 50 women with GDM and 50 GT women. All women completed the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) forms and the Speilberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at the beginning of the third trimester, antepartum, and 6 weeks postpartum. Specific questions were also assessed using a Likert scale.
RESULTS—Women with GDM, compared with GT women, had a higher level of anxiety (state rather than trait) at the time of the first assessment. However, before delivery and in the postpartum period, there were no significant differences in anxiety scores between the two groups. Women in both groups were positive about being tested for GDM and wished to be tested during future pregnancies.
CONCLUSIONS—There were no sustained increased levels of anxiety for women diagnosed with GDM. Concerns expressed about causing sustained maternal anxiety by testing for GDM could not be substantiated.
- GDM, gestational diabetes mellitus
- GT, glucose tolerant
- GTT, glucose tolerance test
- MHI-5, Mental Health Inventory 5
- STAI, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
Footnotes
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. R. Moses, 4/393 Crown St., Wollongong, NSW, 2500, Australia. E-mail: mosesr{at}iahs.nsw.gov.au.
Received for publication 21 June 2002 and accepted in revised form 22 October 2002.
A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.
- DIABETES CARE
