Placenta previa (PP) and placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) are high-risk obstetric conditions associated with significant maternal morbidity. While their obstetric consequences are well established, less is known about their impact on maternal mental health, particularly regarding the relationship between prenatal anxiety and postpartum depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at a tertiary referral center between September 2025 and January 2026. A total of 127 pregnant women were included, comprising 42 women diagnosed with PP with or without PAS and 85 women with uncomplicated pregnancies serving as controls. Prenatal anxiety was assessed during the third trimester using the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale–Turkish version (PASS-TR), and postpartum depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at the routine postpartum outpatient follow-up visit. Group comparisons and correlations between prenatal anxiety and postpartum depressive symptoms were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Women in the PP/PAS group exhibited significantly higher prenatal anxiety levels across all PASS-TR domains compared with controls. Postpartum depressive symptoms were also more pronounced in the PP/PAS group, with a higher proportion of women exceeding the clinical cut-off for depression. Clinically significant prenatal anxiety was substantially more common among women with PP/PAS. Moreover, prenatal anxiety severity showed a moderate and significant positive correlation with postpartum depressive symptoms. Pregnancies complicated by placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum, are associated with elevated prenatal anxiety and increased postpartum depressive symptoms. The strong association between antenatal anxiety and postpartum depression suggests that psychological difficulties often emerge during pregnancy and may persist into the postpartum period.
Bulan et al. (Mon,) studied this question.