Awareness of prenatal anxiety disorders among Obstetricians and General Practitioners in Poland – A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction. Mental health disorders are more prevalent in pregnancy than in the general population. Anxiety disorders in pregnancy, particularly Pregnancy-Related Anxiety (PrA) have multiple negative consequences for the mother and her child. Pregnant patients have multiple visits with their Obstetric-Gynaecologist or General Practitioner, who can start the necessary treatment or refer them to a psychiatrist. Objective. The aim our the study is to evaluate the knowledge of General Practitioners and Obstetrician-Gynaecologists about mental health disorders in pregnancy, and to suggest areas of improvement in clinical practice. Materials and method. General Practitioners and Obstetricians-Gynaecologists in Poland were asked to complete an online survey consisting of a socio-demographic questionnaire. The questionnaire regarded mental health disorders in pregnancy, and questions regarding anxiety disorders in pregnancy. The results were analysed separately using Pearson correlation calculations for General Practitioners and Obstetrician-Gynaecologists. Results. One hundred-one respondents completed an online survey. When asked about the most common disorders in pregnancy, psychiatric conditions were only 5% and 2% of the listed conditions listed by Obstetrician-Gynaecologists and General Practitioners, respectively. 50% of Obstetrician-Gynaecologists and 25% of General Practitioners claimed they were unaware of such conditions as PrA. Conclusions. The awareness of mental health disorders, especially Pregnancy-Related Anxiety, among General Practitioners and Obstetricians-Gynaecologists, is inadequate. Improvement in knowledge about antenatal psychiatric conditions is crucial for the well-being of pregnant women and their children.