Psychological impact of fetal anomaly diagnosis: a scoping review

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2024

Identifier

DOI: 10.1007/s12144-024-06921-6

Abstract

Pregnant patients experience substantial emotional distress following a diagnosis of a fetal anomaly. Studies have examined mental health in this population, but to date, this research has not been summarized and analyzed. This scoping review aims to identify the psychological impact of a fetal anomaly diagnosis and its prevalence in this population. This is a scoping review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). We searched for quantitative literature in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and PsycINFO on the psychological impact of fetal anomaly diagnosis during pregnancy. A total of ten articles were reviewed. In this review, we identified symptoms of depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress in pregnant patients through various screening tools. Positive screening rates range from 21%-72% for depression, 18%-53% for anxiety, and 10%-38.98% for traumatic stress. Patients who were 25 or younger, had low income, or had a severe or unknown fetal prognosis, were more likely to screen positive on a measure of psychological distress. Pregnant patients experience substantial symptoms of depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress following fetal anomaly diagnosis, at rates higher than the general pregnant population. The variables that impact the trajectory of mental health throughout pregnancy with fetal anomaly are unclear and need further research. There is a lack of standardization of mental health identification and support in this population which makes comparison across studies difficult. Characteristics that affect mental health in this population need further research.

Journal Title

Current Psychology

Volume

43

First Page

34414

Last Page

34433

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