Life Stress, Social Support, and Emotional Disequilibrium in Complications of Pregnancy: A Prospective, Multivariate Study

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Abstract
This study used a multivariate approach to determine the effects of selected psychosocial variables on pregnancy complications in a naturally-occurring population of medically-normal women from various racial, marital, and socioeconomic groups. Pregnant women between 12 and 20 weeks' gestation (N = 117) were tested with standardized instruments that measured life stress; social support; and the emotion-state variables of anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Life stress during pregnancy was measured in the last prenatal month. Outcome was determined by postpartum chart review. Life stress and social support (emotional) were significantly related to emotional disequilibrium. Significant main effects were found for life stress (prior year) on overall and gestation complications and for emotional disequilibrium on infant-condition complications. A significant interaction of life stress (during pregnancy) and social support (tangible) was found for all three types of complications, but not for overall pregnancy complications.

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