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The impact of decision quality on mental health following periviable delivery

Journal of Perinatology volume 39, pages 1595–1601 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the relationship between decision quality and mental health outcomes for women and their important others (IO) 3 months following periviable birth.

Method

Mental health outcomes were assessed prior to delivery and at 3 months postpartum using depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (IES-22) scales. Decision quality was measured in terms of Decisional Conflict, Control, Regret, and Satisfaction with Decision. Descriptive analyses and linear regression modeling were conducted using SAS version 9.4.

Result

We recruited 30 eligible women and 16 IOs. Participants had mild anxiety and depression, and symptoms of PTSD were among bereaved parents. Participants with lower decision control had higher levels of depression (women: p = 0.014; IOs: p = 0.059) and anxiety (women: p = 0.053; IOs: p = 0.032). Depression was also associated with higher decisional regret (women: p = 0.073; IOs: p = 0.023).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that decision quality is associated with mental health outcomes for families who experience periviable delivery.

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Funding

This study was funding by the National Institutes of Health R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (HD089032-01).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds, Tatiana Laitano, Shelley M. Hoffman & Erin Jeffries

  2. Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine & Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    William Fadel & Surya Sruthi Bhamidipalli

  3. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Karen Kavanaugh

  4. College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Karen Kavanaugh

Authors
  1. Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds
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  2. Tatiana Laitano
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Correspondence to Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds.

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Tucker Edmonds, B., Laitano, T., Hoffman, S.M. et al. The impact of decision quality on mental health following periviable delivery. J Perinatol 39, 1595–1601 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-019-0403-0

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