Characterization of anxiety during pregnancy and childbirth from the nursing professional’s perspective

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy involves changes and uncertainties that can produce stress and anxiety, with biological and psychosocial consequences for the mother and the newborn; nursing emerges as a key actor for detection and emotional support. 
Objective: To characterize anxiety during pregnancy and childbirth from the perspective of the nursing professional. 
Methods: Narrative literature review conducted in January 2023; search in PubMed, ProQuest, Dialnet, SciELO and Medline; criteria: studies from the last 5 years in Spanish, English or Portuguese that explicitly addressed anxiety in pregnant women; final selection: 16 documents after screening 653 records. 
Results: The studies reviewed showed anxiety as a central issue linked to underlying disorders, perinatal complications and worsening during the pandemic; associated factors included lack of companionship, adolescent pregnancy, pregnancy loss and the postpartum period; nursing practices such as empathetic care, prenatal education and relaxation techniques were also described, and complementary interventions with heterogeneous evidence were reported. 
Conclusions: Anxiety in pregnancy is a complex problem that interconnects biological, psychosocial and care-related aspects, and nursing is recognized as having a central role in identifying, accompanying and providing emotional and educational support, as well as coordinating health system resources.