Comparing Perceived Social Support and Perceived Stress in Healthy Pregnant Women and Pregnant Women with Preeclampsia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is a prevalent side effect ofpregnancy. Different studies have reported different results aboutthe relationship between mental stress and blood pressuredisorders. In addition, social support is highly important to helpwomen who experience risky pregnancy in adapting to thestressors they experience. This study aimed to compare perceivedsocial support and perceived stress in women with and withoutpreeclampsia.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: Fifty pregnant women definitelydiagnosed with preeclampsia and 50 healthy pregnant womenvisiting public hospitals including Hazrat Masoumeh, Motazedi,and Imam Reza in Kermanshah-Iran took part in a descriptive-analytical study from June 2017 to January 2018. Data gatheringtools included demographics questionnaire, social supportappraisals scale and perceived stress scale. The collected data wasanalyzed with SPSS (v.20) using independent t-test.
RESULTS: The mean score of perceived social support in thepreeclampsia and non-preeclampsia groups were 69.88±7.3 and76.80±7.6 respectively (P<0.01). The mean score of perceivedstress in the preeclampsia and non-preeclampsia groups were35.6±8.7 and 26.01±5.56 respectively (P<0.01). This means thatcompared with healthy women, women with preeclampsiaperceived more stress and less social support.
CONCLUSION: In comparison with healthy pregnant women,women with preeclampsia perceived more stress and less socialsupport. Healthcare providers should recommended to pay moreattention to improving social support and attenuating stress inpregnant women.