The presence of anxiety during pregnancy is associated with adverse consequences for both mothers and their babies. The aim of this study was to review the prevalence of anxiety in European pregnant women in order to find out which countries have published the most studies in respect to the presence of anxiety during pregnancy, which countries are the most and least prevalent in terms of anxiety within pregnant women, and which are the most common tools used to assess anxiety during this stage. As such, a literature review was conducted regarding the studies that were published in the last twenty years in the PsycInfo, Medline, and SCOPUS databases. Thirty-eight studies were selected for the purposes of this review. The prevalence of anxiety in pregnancy and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) varies considerably between studies. The European countries that have carried out the most research on this issue are Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The most widely used assessment instrument is the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The lowest prevalence rate of anxiety, using the STAI-E, was found in Poland, 7.7%, and the highest was found in Italy, 36.5%. The prevalence of GAD ranges from 0.3% to 10.8%. This indicates that anxiety in pregnant women is a very relevant mental health problem. It is therefore important to detect and intervene early in order to promote the well-being of both mothers and children.

Background: Prenatal anxiety is a common problem affecting a large number of women. The presence of anxiety during pregnancy is associated with adverse consequences for both the mother and the baby. The main objective of this review was to determine the risk factors associated with anxiety during pregnancy in European women. Specifically, we wanted to know if these factors are the same as those found in other continents and if they are similar to those associated with depression during this stage. Methods: A literature review was carried out on studies that were published in the last 10 years in the PsycInfo, Medline, and SCOPUS databases. Thirteen studies were selected for the purposes of this review. Results: Sociodemographic risk factors associated with a higher level of anxiety during pregnancy included having a lower educational level and socioeconomic status. Obstetric and pregnancy-related risk factors included having had complications during pregnancy. Having a history of mental health problems, low social support, high levels of stress, and being exposed to adverse life events were the most relevant psychological factors for presenting prenatal anxiety. Furthermore, these factors are largely common to those associated with prenatal anxiety in other continents of the world and to those associated with prenatal depression. Conclusions: This review shows that there are multiple factors that contribute to women experiencing prenatal anxiety. Most can be identified at the beginning of pregnancy, and some factors, such as psychological ones, are potentially modifiable. This underlines the importance of carrying out a proper screening for anxiety during pregnancy in order to prevent its onset or treat it appropriately. Furthermore, the fact that risk factors are common for both prenatal anxiety and depression implies that the same intervention could reduce the probability of the onset of both pathologies and the possible consequences associated with them.

Background: Suicide represents a serious public health problem in the world and is currently the second cause of death in young people between the ages of 15 and 29. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to know the programs that exist in the school to prevent suicidal behavior, in order to decide what kind of programs and which strategies are the most effective to reduce it. Method: A bibliographic review of the studies published between 2010 and 2018 in the PsycINFO, Medline and SCOPUS databases was carried out. Results: In the 16 articles included in this review, 13 different programs applied in the school are analyzed. Three types of suicide prevention programs were found: universal, selective and indicated. Conclusions: It is observed that universal prevention is the most applied and effective type of program in this field. The intervention strategies that integrate the programs are education, peer and guardian training. Also, coping, problem-solving and communication skills training protect students from suicide.

Introduction. In women, smoking during pregnancy and the postpartum period has important consequences for maternal and infant health, and interventions to assist smoking cessation during this period are essential. Although smoking has been associated with the presence of mental health problems, few studies addressing the factors associated with perinatal smoking have examined the role of stress. The aim of this review was to identify the relationships between the presence of stress and smoking during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Method. A literature search of the PsycInfo, Pubmed and Web of Science databases was carried out to identify relevant articles published between January 2013 and June 2024. A total of 15 studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for review. Results. Twelve of the studies analysed the relationship between stress and smoking during pregnancy, two studies involved the postpartum period, and one study included both periods. Diverse instruments were used to assess stress, although the PSS-14 was the most commonly used. Eleven of the studies found a relationship between stress and smoking in the perinatal period, with stress being a predictor of smoking. Conclusions. The findings highlight the need to consider stress management when developing effective interventions to help women quit smoking during pregnancy and maintain abstinence in the postpartum period.

Background: Anxiety is one of the most frequent disorders during the perinatal stage that is associated with adverse health effects in women and their babies. In spite of this, preventive interventions during this stage are scarce. A long-distance intervention carried out during pregnancy can be an effective and accessible resource to help improve women’s emotional state. The objective of this study is to present and assess the effectiveness of a telepsychology cognitive–behavioral preventive intervention during pregnancy to manage anxiety. Methods: A random clinical trial will be carried out among pregnant women in Spain. The psychological intervention will take place via videoconference in seven weekly sessions, lasting one hour each, with groups of 6–8 pregnant women. Study outcomes will be collected via online questionnaires at five points in time: pre-intervention (baseline: t0), post-intervention (baseline: t1), follow-up at 1 month (t2), follow-up at 3 months (t3) and follow-up at 6 months (t4). The control group will receive usual pregnancy care (attendance at pregnancy follow-up consultations and information and answers to frequently asked questions provided by the midwife). Our primary hypothesis is that the intervention will decrease the frequency of women who present anxious symptomatology during pregnancy. The second objective is to analyze the effectiveness of this intervention to prevent depressive symptomatology during pregnancy, as well as postpartum anxiety and depressive symptomatology. The primary outcome measure is the difference in the mean anxiety score between the intervention and control groups assessed by the Edinburgh Depression Scale-Anxiety Subscale (EDS-3A), the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) at the end of the intervention and at 1, 3 and 6 months postpartum. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) will be evaluated with the SCID clinical interview at the same time points. The secondary outcome will be determined by using the EPDS at the same time points. Conclusions: The results will determine whether a cognitive behavioral therapy applied via videoconference is well accepted by pregnant women, and if it is effective in preventing anxiety and emotional symptoms during the perinatal stage. If this intervention is an effective and useful resource among pregnant women, it can be implemented as a tool in Spanish healthcare.

Introduction: Anxiety is a common problem during pregnancy and postpartum that can have important consequences for mothers and their babies. Having preventive psychological interventions to apply during the perinatal stage could help to reduce its adverse effects. The aim of this study was to find out which psychological interventions have been applied for the prevention of perinatal anxiety, what therapeutic approach and application format have been most commonly used, and which interventions have proven to be most effective. Methods: A literature review was conducted in the PsycInfo, Medline, and SCOPUS databases to identify articles published between March 2015 and March 2025. Results: Twenty studies were selected that met the inclusion criteria. Twelve of the interventions analyzed were indicated prevention programs and eight were universal prevention programs, with most taking place in pregnancy (n = 18). Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy were the most commonly employed approaches. Regarding the application format, interventions conducted face-to-face and online were equally frequent, as well as those carried out individually or in groups. The duration ranged from 4 to 14 sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy interventions, applied face-to-face and in groups, proved to be the most effective. Conclusions: Preventive psychological interventions are effective in reducing anxiety during pregnancy. Further research is needed to draw conclusive results on their long-term effects and efficacy in the postpartum period.