The DOI matches its Crossref record; 102 of the 103 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Anxiety measures validated in perinatal populations: A systematic review
Open accessAbstract
Background Research and screening of anxiety in the perinatal period is hampered by a lack of psychometric data on self-report anxiety measures used in perinatal populations. This paper aimed to review self-report measures that have been validated with perinatal women.Methods A systematic search was carried out of four electronic databases. Additional papers were obtained through searching identified articles. Thirty studies were identified that reported validation of an anxiety measure with perinatal women.Results Most commonly validated self-report measures were the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS). Of the 30 studies included, 11 used a clinical interview to provide criterion validity. Remaining studies reported one or more other forms of validity (factorial, discriminant, concurrent and predictive) or reliability. The STAI shows criterion, discriminant and predictive validity and may be most useful for research purposes as a specific measure of anxiety. The Kessler 10 (K-10) may be the best short screening measure due to its ability to differentiate anxiety disorders. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) measures multiple types of distress, shows appropriate content, and remains to be validated against clinical interview in perinatal populations.Limitations Nineteen studies did not report sensitivity or specificity data. The early stages of research into perinatal anxiety, the multitude of measures in use, and methodological differences restrict comparison of measures across studies.Conclusion There is a need for further validation of self-report measures of anxiety in the perinatal period to enable accurate screening and detection of anxiety symptoms and disorders.
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“The IDAS-II has demonstrated excellent psychometric properties in pregnant samples [64, 65]”
From Trajectories of Maternal and Paternal Internalizing Symptoms from Pregnancy to 2 Years Postpartum: Identifying Modifiable Risk and Protective Factors (2024) · cites this paper as [65]
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Cites
The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
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Mixed-Methods Assessment of Maternal Anxiety During the First 8 Weeks After Birth
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“It is a widely used measure of state anxiety validated for postpartum women (Meades and Ayers 2011 ).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Meades, R., & Ayers, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Sussex (GB)
- ORCID
- Ayers, Susan
- Venue
- Journal of Affective Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-09
- Volume
- 133
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 1-15
- ISSN
- 0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2114696206
- Cited by
- 329
- References
- 103
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 1.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- City Research Online (City University London) (acceptedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Keywords
- perinatal anxiety, anxiety screening, psychometric validation, General Health Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Kessler K10, DASS-21, criterion validity, discriminant validity, perinatal women
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Female, Humans, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sensitivity and Specificity, Weights and Measures, Reproducibility of Results, Postpartum Period
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