Influência de variáveis sociodemográficas, obstétricas e religiosidade na saúde mental de mulheres no puerpério imediato

Abstract

The immediate puerperium is characterized by the period between the first and tenth day postpartum. This phase shows great transformations in women’s lives that are associated with hormonal, physical, social and psychological changes, marking a phase of greater vulnerability for women, predisposing them to mental illness, such as Postpartum Depression (PPD). Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) is a factor that can generate positive impacts on women’s mental health during this phase. This study aims to evaluate the influence of sociodemographic, obstetric, and religiosity variables on symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and stress in women during the immediate postpartum period. The study was carried out in a university hospital, with puerperae over 18 years old, from November 2021 to January 2022. A questionnaire was applied to analyze socioeconomic data. Mental health was assessed by the DASS-21 scale (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale). Religiosity was assessed by the Spiritual Religious Coping Scale (CER-BREVE-14) and the Duke Religiosity Inventory (PDUREL). 81 women participated in the study. 79% were black/brown/indigenous, 74% single/separated, 46.9% had a non-income occupation, 39.5% were Catholic. According to the clinical and obstetric data, 60.5% were multiparous and 60.5% had unplanned pregnancies. 30.9% had a normal delivery and 55.6% had a cesarean section. There was a statistically significant relationship between anxiety and occupation without income, anxiety and income below R$2000.00, anxiety and stress and education below 11 years. There was no association between religiosity and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Studies show that during pregnancy that religiosity/spirituality is more significant and that more studies addressing the puerperium period are needed. This study proposes the need for more attention to pregnant and postpartum women in situations of low income and education, as they are more prone to develop anxiety and stress, and may lead to a higher risk of developing postpartum depression.