Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Psychological Stress in Bangladeshi Women: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common disorders affecting pregnant women which increases their vulnerability to psychological stress compared to non-GDM pregnant women. Being a mother is already a significant life-changing and stressful condition. Developing diabetes during pregnancy will make women's psychological stress levels considerably higher, as well as lead to pregnancy-related complications and a poor neonatal outcome. Therefore, this study aims to explore and compare the psychological stress of GDM in pregnant women with non-GDM women. Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study investigated the diabetes-related distress using the Depression, Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale-5 (PAID-5) in purposively selected 75 pregnant women with GDM and compared them to 75 non-GDM women attending for antenatal checkup at BIHS General Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Results: Average age of the pregnant women was 27.71±5.10 (GDM mean= 29.48±4.57, Non-GDM mean= 25.95±5.02). Pregnant women with GDM had more stress (57.3%), more anxiety (46.7%) and more depression (61.3%) compared to non-GDM women (p<.001). According to DASS-21, among all women with GDM, 25.3% had moderate stress, 22.7% mild depression and 29.3% extreme-severe anxiety. According to PAID-5 scale, more than half (63%) of the GDM women had diabetes related emotional distress. Conclusion: Women with GDM are more likely to have psychological distress compared with non-GDM pregnant women. Digital technology-based intervention like psychological education can be considered to improve access to diabetes care, specifically targeted at urban women living in a nuclear family could achieve better pregnancy outcomes.