Changes in psychological stress of pregnant women and partners before and after genetic counseling on NIPT

Abstract

Pregnant women and their partners may have high psychological stress in undergoing prenatal genetic testing. In this study, we examined the effects of genetic counseling (GC) performed before testing on pregnant women and their partners by evaluating their psychological stress. The subjects were 155 couples who visited our hospital for the first time between January 2016 and May 2017 for NIPT (Non-invasive prenatal testing). The questionnaire was conducted before and after GC. The questionnaire after GC evaluated changes in feelings before and after GC by NRS (Numeric Rating Scale). This survey was conducted with the approval of our ethics committee. NRS before and after GC showed significant differences in all items in the pregnant women group. The partner group was significantly different except for depression. It was suggested that appropriate psychological support was provided to the client in GC. In addition, the change in NRS before and after GC (after GC-before GC) was significantly higher in the partner group only for the sense of security. This suggested that couples had different timings to obtain relief. Thus, it was speculated that by conducting psychological evaluations of GC participants, GC could reduce anxiety and stress in pregnant women and their partners.