NAVIGATING THE STORM: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS AMONG WORKING WOMEN DURING PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM COURSE

Abstract

In this study, working women's experiences with depression, anxiety, and stress during and after pregnancy were compared. Purposive sampling was used to choose 120 pregnant women who were at least five months along from several gynecologist clinics in
Kolkata, West Bengal, with the permission of the patient and the practitioner. Data were gathered during the postpartum phase from the same pregnancy sample group. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-42), created by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995), was administered to the study population in order to gauge their levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The ttest for large samples, statistical mean (M), and standard deviation (S.D.) were used to analyze the data. The results of this study indicated that women's psychological outcomes vary significantly during pregnancy and after childbirth. There were notable differences in depression levels between these stages, suggesting that each had unique vulnerabilities or obstacles. But there was no discernible difference in anxiety levels, which may indicate that anxiety feelings persisted during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Stress levels also showed notable variations throughout the prenatal and postpartum stages, indicating a range of stressors that might surface during these crucial times of mother adjustment.