PREGNANCY AND NEUROTICISM

Abstract

Two hundred and five women attending an antenatal cinic for the first time during their pregnancy were scored for neuroticism and anxiety by standard means. Their neuroticism scores were compared with those of 100 married women who had given birth to a child within the previous week. The two groups were attending the same hospital, and were similar in terms of age, race and social class. The married pregnant women (141) were significantly more neurotic (P < 0.005) than those in the post‐partum group. They also had high anxiety scores. The post‐partum group had neuroticism scores which were close to normal. On the basis of these findings, and of previous reports, we question the common belief that neuroticism is high in the puerperium and mental health unimpaired during pregnancy, and suggest instead that anxiety and neuroticism may be characteristic of pregnancy, and that depression may be characteristic of the postpartum period. The prognostic implications of our findings are briefly discussed.