Anxiety in the perinatal period: Knowledge of pregnant, postpartum, and nonperinatal women.

Anxiety is common during the perinatal period (pregnancy to 12 months postpartum), yet perinatal women rarely seek help. One help-seeking barrier is low mental health literacy; however, research on perinatal anxiety (PA) and mental health literacy is scarce. This study aims to investigate women's knowledge regarding PA. Participants were 209 pregnant, postpartum, and nonperinatal women. Open-ended responses about perceived symptoms and causes of PA were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Two main themes concerning knowledge of PA symptoms were developed: (1) Perceived symptoms of perinatal anxiety (subthemes: Cognitive, Emotional, Physical, and Behavioral symptoms) and (2) Misattribution of symptoms of other disorders. Four main themes regarding knowledge of perceived causes of PA were developed: (1) Maternal health-related risk factors (subthemes: Preexisting factors, Perinatal factors), (2) Unique perinatal challenges and pressures (subthemes: Pregnancy and labor challenges, Postpartum challenges), (3) Environmental changes and stressors (subthemes: Lifestyle, Relationships), and (4) Absence of meaningful supports (subthemes: "Lack of support system," "Information overload"). The study highlights that women and their partners may benefit from PA-focused psychoeducation to further improve early recognition of symptoms and support well-being.