Research Progress on Psychological Distress in Patients with Ectopic Pregnancy in China

Ectopic pregnancy is a leading cause of death for child-bearing aged women. Most patients with ectopic pregnancy experience suffer psychological distress which seriously affects their physical and mental health. The psychological distress, influencing factors, measurement tools, and nursing interventions in patients with ectopic pregnancy in China are reviewed in this article. The results showed that the main psychological distress of patients with ectopic pregnancy is anxiety, depression, uncertainty sense of disease, and low self-esteem. The main factors affecting the psychological distress of ectopic pregnancy patients included life-threatening disease, different marital status, and reproductive needs. The main intervention methods for psychological distress in pregnant patients included: cognitive behavioral therapy, emotional therapy of traditional Chinese medicine, and family support. The majority of cross-sectional surveys in China focused on psychological conditions of the patients with ectopic pregnancy, and there are very few longitudinal studies. Large-sample, multi-center longitudinal studies should be conducted in the future to monitor the development of ectopic pregnancy. Qualitative research should be conducted on patient experience, to provide guidance and basis for the implementation of targeted nursing interventions and to further explore standardized, continuous, and generalizable psychological care protocols for distress interventions for patients with ectopic pregnancy, thereby minimizing psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, and uncertainty in patients with ectopic pregnancy.