Psychological implications of high-risk pregnancy

Abstract

The psychological adjustments of "normal" pregnancy are complex, and those of high-risk pregnancy are even more pronounced and severe. A pregnancy may be determined to be at high risk because of obstetric factors in previous pregnancies or the present one; more general medical factors, such as preexisting or emergent disease (often, diabetes); and conditions that are, themselves, psychosocial: anxiety disorders (GAD, OCD, panic disorder, PTSD), mood disorders, and schizophrenia, all of which are a background for a disturbed pregnancy and might complicate a pregnancy denominated high risk for some other reason. This paper discusses these concepts and, in addition, includes sections on pregnancy in adolescence, in the developmentally disabled, and in the situation of chemical dependence (substance abuse).