Disability and psychiatric symptoms in hyperemesis gravidarum patients

Nausea and vomiting is an important health problem which adversely affects the daily routine and quality of life in pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to measure the level of change in the quality of life, depression and anxiety in hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) patients in relation to social-demographic data and disease variables.

One hundred pregnant women hospitalized with the diagnosis of HG were included in the study. A total of 100 healthy pregnant women were also evaluated as the control group. All the patients in the study completed the socio-demographic data form, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A and D) and Brief Disability Questionnaire (BDQ).

The mean HADS-D subscale score was 7.09 ±3.91 in HG patients and 5.73 ± 3.32 in controls. The depression score in the HG patients were significantly higher than that of the control group (p = 0.009). The mean HADS-A subscale score was 7.73 ± 3.86, which was significantly higher in HG patients compared to 6.70 ± 3.31 in controls (p = 0.045). The mean BDQ score was 11.2 ± 4.40 in HG patients and 8.5 ± 3.31 in the control group of pregnant women, thus, significantly higher in the HG group as compared to controls (p < 0.0001). In the HADS-D, 52 patients in the HG group and 40 patients in the control group scored above the threshold value (p = 0.089). In the HADS-A, 28 patients in the HG group and 20 in the control group scored above the threshold value (p = 0.185).

In patients with HG, a significant deterioration of physical and social health was encountered. HG disease is independent of any underlying psychiatric condition and adversely affects the quality of life of the sufferer.