The Suicide risk among women with high-risk pregnancies

Abstract

Introduction: It is estimated that 20% of pregnant women from developing countries, including Brazil, are subjected to anxiety situations, and that the prevalence of antenatal depression ranges from 7 to 15%. Objective: To identify the negative influence of psychosocial aspects during pregnancy. Results: In Western modern civilization, child bearing is often seen as a source of happiness to women. Thus, it is unlikely to relate sadness to the status of pregnancy, which is corroborated by the almost inexistent body of evidence documenting epidemiological data regarding antenatal depression and suicidal ideation during pregnancy. Conclusions: Results point towards a low prevalence of suicidal ideation among pregnant women, possibly due to the fact that practically no assessment of mental state is done during the antenatal period. A prevention strategy targeted at identifying harmful pregnant women’s behavior and psychosocial aspects is needed, so as to early diagnose depression, suicidal ideation and other risk factors among this population. Keywords: Suicide; Suicidal ideation; Depressive Symptoms; Pregnancy, high-risk