Validity evidence for the Brazilian version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale.
Kydja Milene Souza Torres de Araújo, Jaqueline Wendland, Rosilene Santos Baptista
PMID 40667899WHAT IT FOUND
A Brazilian postpartum anxiety scale identified four types of worry in mothers and gave consistent scores when repeated after 14 days.
It kept 43 of 51 items and scored in step with anxiety and depression scales. Use it to screen, not to show treatment works.
Key findings
01The Brazilian version comprises 43 items distributed in four domains.
02Test-retest showed temporal stability of r = 0.928.
03The PSAS-BR correlated positively with STAI and EPDS.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only 262 mothers from two health centres in Recife, so it may not represent all postpartum women in Brazil. The ratio of observations to variables was 5:1, which the authors describe as the lower limit for this type of analysis. Test-retest was done by telephone, which can introduce noise, interruptions or technical problems. The study did not test whether using the scale improves care, referral or maternal or infant outcomes. Some item behaviour was discussed in relation to the pandemic, so results may not reflect routine postpartum settings.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this as proof that screening postpartum anxiety improves maternal or infant outcomes. It tested how well a questionnaire measured anxiety in 262 mothers, not whether clinicians acting on the scores helped anyone.