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Table 1 Coping strategies according to prenatal and postnatal anxiety levels, including means, standard deviations (SD), F and degrees of freedom as well as comparisons between groups over time

From: Anxiety symptoms and coping strategies in the perinatal period

Coping strategies

T1 (3rd trim. pregnancy) n = 400

T2 (2 months postpartum) n = 158

Group effect

Time effect

 

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

F(df)

p

F(df)

p

Active coping

      

No anxiety

3.15 (0.45)

3.00 (0.65)

    

Moderate anxiety

3.09 (0.45)

3.04 (0.48)

    

Severe anxiety

3.08 (0.54)

2.97 (0.67)

0.16 (2)

n.s.

4.85 (1)

0.03

Planning

      

No anxiety

3.12 (0.46)g

2.98 (0.61)g

    

Moderate anxiety

3.15 (0.45)

3.03 (0.47)

    

Severe anxiety

3.02(0.46)

3.08 (0.58)

0.13 (2)

n.s.

4.23 (1)

0.04

Using instrumental support

      

No anxiety

3.15 (0.64)g

2.89 (0.81)g

    

Moderate anxiety

3.09 (0.62)

3.06 (0.70)

    

Severe anxiety

3.19 (0.77)

2.95 (0.84)

1.33 (2)

n.s.

10.65 (1)

0.001

Using emotional support

      

No anxiety

3.17 (0.72)

2.94 (1.23)

    

Moderate anxiety

3.27 (0.58)

3.12 (0.65)

    

Severe anxiety

3.29 (0.69)i

2.94 (0.83)i

0.59 (2)

n.s.

6.87 (1)

0.01

Venting

      

No anxiety

3.11 (0.60)g

2.91 (0.72)g

    

Moderate anxiety

3.03 (0.71)

2.94 (0.64)

    

Severe anxiety

3.15 (0.71)

2.92 (0.89)

0.07 (2)

n.s.

9.58 (1)

0.002

Acceptance

      

No anxiety

3.39 (0.36)d.e

3.38 (0.47)

    

Moderate anxiety

3.24 (.036)d

3.24 (0.58)

    

Severe anxiety

3.13 (0.48)e

3.32 (0.61)

2.89 (2)

0.05

0.64 (1)

ns

Denial

      

No anxiety

1.63 (0.75)a.e.g

1.43 (0.59)a.b.g

    

Moderate anxiety

1.92 (0.72)a

1.68 (0.76)a

    

Severe anxiety

1.90 (0.69)e

1.81 (0.85)b

5.44 (2)

0.05

7.87 (1)

0.06

Self-Blame

      

No anxiety

2.31 (0.75)a.g

1.98 (0.69)a.b.g

    

Moderate anxiety

2.44 (0.70)b

2.33 (0.81)a

    

Severe anxiety

2.87 (0.84)a.b

2.63 (0.90)b

12.64 (2)

0.001

11.23 (1)

0.001

Humour

      

No anxiety

1.97 (0.80)

1.98 (0.85)

    

Moderate anxiety

1.78 (0.67)

1.72 (0.73)

    

Severe anxiety

1.73 (0.63)

1.68 (0.65)

3.19 (2)

0.04

0.07 (1)

n.s.

Religion

      

No anxiety

1.90 (0.94)g

1.70 (0.91)g

    

Moderate anxiety

1.63 (0.81)

1.58 (0.79)

    

Severe anxiety

1.90 (0.92)i

1.60 (0.93)i

0.779 (2)

n.s.

9.43 (1)

0.01

Distraction

      

No anxiety

2.88 (0.74)g

2.37 (0.93)g

    

Moderate anxiety

3.04 (0.59)h

2.46 (0.74)h

    

Severe anxiety

2.73 (0.70)i

2.19 (0.92)i

1.79 (2)

n.s.

49.72 (1)

0.001

Substance use

      

No anxiety

1.05 ( 0.18)

1.13 (0.45)

    

Moderate anxiety

1.10 (0.28)

1.12 (0.29)

    

Severe anxiety

1.03 (0.18)

1.26 (0.68)

0.56 (2)

n.s.

5.275 (1)

0.023

Behavioural Disengagement

      

No anxiety

1.51 (0.49)

1.50 (0.59)

    

Moderate anxiety

1.77 (0.68)

1.65 (0.61)

    

Severe anxiety

1.61 (0.57)

1.58 (0.65)

2.81 (2)

n.s.

0.50 (1)

n.s.

Positive reframing

      

No anxiety

3.01 (0.60)d

2.93 (0.58)a

    

Moderate anxiety

2.91 (0.48)

2.77 (0.69)

    

Severe anxiety

2.73 (0.70)d

2.60 (0.69)a

4.22 (2)

0.016

3.71 (1)

ns

  1. Note: Group effect: a,b,c : p ≤0.05; d,e,f: 0.05 > p < 0.10; n.s.: non significant.
  2. Time effect: g,h,i : p ≤0.05.