According to Lee et al. (2007), symptoms of antenatal
anxiety and depression were found to correspond with
young age, and a history of alcohol use was identified as a
compelling risk factor for anxiety throughout the entirety of
pregnancy. This finding may be partially attributable to the
fact that a history of drinking is associated with untreated
psychological issues before a woman ever becomes pregnant.
Antenatal anxiety may also be a manifestation of alcohol
withdrawal. In addition, the study found that psychosocial
factors affect the development of anxiety, with a low selfesteem
being most prognostic. The authors of the research
suggest antenatal anxiety to be anticipatory due to feelings
of incompetence related to coping with the demands of
upcoming motherhood. Moreover, pregnant women who
struggled the most with self-confidence and becoming accustomed
to a new role were those who continued to display
anxiety in the last trimester (Lee et al., 2007).