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[Abstract] [PDF]
Purpose ? The prenatal distress level of the pregnant woman is influenced by many variables.
Personality characteristics are one of the most important of these variables. Knowing
personality characteristics of pregnant women contributes to the personalization of care. The purpose
of this paper is to identify the effect of personality characteristics of pregnant women at risk on the
prenatal distress level.
Design/methodology/approach ? A total of 438 women who were hospitalized based on a medical
diagnosis associated with pregnancy were included in the study. The participants were administered the
Personal Information Form, Cervantes Personality Scale and Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire.
Data were evaluated using the SPSS 22.0 software program.
Findings ? Of the pregnant women, 27.4 percent found their ability to cope with stress insufficient, and
one-fifth of them found their social support insufficient. The pregnant women at risk with introverted,
neurotic and inconsistent personality were found to have high levels of prenatal distress.
Research limitations/implications ? This study was conducted on a group of Turkish pregnant women
and cannot be generalized to other cultures. The data obtained from the research cannot be used to evaluate
the psychological and physical disorders of the pregnant woman.
Practical implications ? All health care professionals should evaluate women not only physically but also
mentally and emotionally, beginning with the preconceptional period. They should determine the conditions
that create distress and identify the personality characteristics that prevent from coping with stress. By using
cognitive and behavioral techniques, pregnant women should be trained to gain skills on subjects such as risk
perception and stress management, personality characteristics and coping, problem solving, psychological
endurance and optimism. Caring initiatives should be personalized in line with personality characteristics of
pregnant women. The care offered within this framework will contribute to the strengthening and
development of the health of not only the women but also the family and society, and to the reduction of
health care costs.
Social implications ? Researchers have determined that pregnant women at risk with introverted, neurotic
and inconsistent personality characteristics have higher distress levels. They have determined that these pregnant women find their ability to cope with stress more inadequate. It is vital to cope with stress during
pregnancy due to its adverse effects on maternal/fetal/neonatal health.
Originality/value ? The prenatal distress level of the pregnant woman is influenced by many demographic
(age, marital status and socioeconomic level), social (marital dissatisfaction, and lack of social support),
personal (self-esteem, neuroticism and negative life experiences) and pregnancy-related (experiencing risky
pregnancy, and previous pregnancy experiences) variables. Personality characteristics are one of the most
important of these variables. This research is original because there are limited number of studies examining
the effect of personality characteristics on prenatal distress level in the literature. And knowing the
relationship between personality characteristics and distress by health professionals enables
individualization of care. The care offered within this framework will contribute to the strengthening and
development of the health of not only the women, but also the family and society, and to the decrease of health
care costs.
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