COMPARISON OF THE MENTAL HEALTH POST ABORTION AND POST PARTUM (NORMAL VAGINAL DELIVERY AND CESARIAN SECTION)

Abstract

Objective: to assess and compare mental health after spontaneous abortion, normal vaginal delivery (NVD) and cesarian section (C/S).

Material and Methods: This prospective analytical descriptive study was carried out in universityaffiliated teaching hospitals in Tehran city, Iran.. The specific questionnaire (PANAS & SCL-90) was applied in this study. The sample population of this study included 48 women during their post abortion period as well as 48 women after NVD and 48 women after C/S. The subjects' mental changes and disorders have been measured. It has been followed by interview and completing the questionnaires at first 24 hours and the weeks of 6th and 12th.

Results: The negative emotional change in the first 24 hours showed no significant differences between abortion and delivery (P=0/002) but on the week 6th and 12th after abortion and delivery the ANOVA test showed significant differences between (NVD & C/S) and abortion (P=0/00). The frequency of mental disorders in the first 24th in the case and control groups were 33.3% and 10.3% respectively and the difference was statistically significant (P=0/00). The severity of emotional changes after spontaneous abortion was more than NVD and in the C/S was more than the rate in NVD.

Conclusion: The statistics reveals that abortion and delivery threaten women's psychological well-being and through the time the intensity of negative mental changes and disorders in all three mentioned groups was decreasing.