Using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in the Peripartum

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Perinatal Mental Health
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Pathological worry is a key feature of peripartum anxiety.
• The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is used to measure worry in the general population.
• Its utility in the peripartum period requires examination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the PSWQ in pregnant and postpartum women.
• To assess the PSWQ's correlation with other psychological measures.
• To determine if the PSWQ can differentiate individuals with and without a history of mood or anxiety disorders.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 295 pregnant/postpartum women completed the PSWQ and other psychological scales across up to six visits.
• Statistical analyses included principal components analysis, descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, chi-square tests, and mixed linear regression models.
• Reliability and validity were evaluated using these methods.

Main Results:

• The PSWQ demonstrated good reliability and validity in the peripartum sample.
• PSWQ scores positively correlated with related measures, particularly the State-Trait Anxiety Scale's TRAIT component (correlations 0.55-0.76).
• Participants with a history of mood or anxiety disorders, and those with current diagnoses, exhibited significantly higher PSWQ scores.

Conclusions:

• The PSWQ is a potentially valuable tool for assessing worry in perinatal anxiety.
• Worry appears to be a significant component of perinatal anxiety.
• Further replication in diverse populations is needed due to study limitations (largely Caucasian, well-educated sample).