Anxiety and depressive symptoms of women in the perinatal period during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Aims: The prevalence of perinatal anxiety and depressive symptoms have been speculated to increase during an infectious disease outbreak but remains unknown in the context of the COVID-19 situation. Therefore, this review aimed to examine the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal anxiety and depressive symptoms among pregnant women and postpartum mothers during the COVID-19 period. Methods: Six electronic databases were systematically searched for articles from November 2019 to December 2020. Twenty-six observational studies and brief reports were included in the meta-analysis. Results: Overall, the prevalence of anxiety was greater than depression in both antenatal and postnatal periods, and the prevalence of depression was higher in the antenatal period than the postnatal period. The pooled prevalence for antenatal anxiety symptoms, antenatal depressive symptoms and postnatal depressive symptoms were 40% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.27–0.52), 27% (95% CI: 0.20–0.33) and 17% (95% CI: 0.10–0.24), respectively. Europe (56%, 95% CI: 0.28–0.85) had significantly higher prevalence of antenatal anxiety than Asia (16%, 95% CI: 0.09–0.23). Conclusions: The heightened prevalence of perinatal psychological disorders served as an impetus for healthcare professionals and policy makers to ramp up their support and mitigation strategies for pregnant women and mothers in times of health crisis.

Academic women and their children: Parenting during COVID‐19 and the impact on scholarly productivity

“…For countless employees, the transition to working from home was further complicated by ongoing school closures that tasked parents and other primary caregivers with attending to and educating the children within their households while simultaneously managing their professional obligations and other responsibilities in the home (Rollins, 2020). Results from preliminary published studies suggested that the cumulative impact of the stressors related to the accommodations made in response to COVID-19 is consistent with past research indicating that the long-term impacts of quarantine may lead to extended psychological trauma (e.g., Andrade, 2020) as noted by increases in expressed anger (Brooks et al, 2020), depression (Shorey et al, 2021), loneliness (Goncalves et al, 2020), hypervigilance (Pèrez-Fuentez et al, 2020), and heightened risk of suicide (Fitzpatrick et al, 2020).…”

Elevated Perinatal Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Study among Jewish and Arab Women in Israel

“…Changes in daily routine and restrictions in movement, together with the resulting confinement-related stress, financial insecurity, and burden of health concerns, have taken a heavy negative toll [46,47]. One of the most vulnerable groups impacted by these adverse circumstances is perinatal women at risk of PNDS [12,22]. The current study assessed the prevalence of PNDS in the Israeli Arab and Jewish population and the impact of several of its risk factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…Other characteristics of the pandemic period, such as loneliness and isolation due to deprivation of social and family support, a reduction in maternity services, the limited availability of medical resources, restricted travel to hospital appointments, financial difficulties, domestic conflicts, and abuse, all of which have increased worldwide, were found to contribute to increasing the incidence of PND symptoms [12,20,21]. Rates of PND during COVID-19 were reported around 31-40% [12,22]. One study conducted in Canada during COVID-19, for example, showed increased PND and anxiety symptoms (37% and 57%, respectively) compared to similar pre-pandemic pregnancy cohorts [23].…”

Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic among Caregivers of Young Children in Kenya’s Urban Informal Settlements. A Cross-Sectional Telephone Survey

“…[13]. In a recent review by Shorey et al [14], the pooled prevalence of antenatal anxiety and depressive symptoms during COVID-19 period were reported to be high (40% and 27%, respectively), although most of these studies were based in high income countries and Asia. The pandemic and implementation of COVID-19 containment measures will greatly affect perinatal health [14][15][16].…”

“…In a recent review by Shorey et al [14], the pooled prevalence of antenatal anxiety and depressive symptoms during COVID-19 period were reported to be high (40% and 27%, respectively), although most of these studies were based in high income countries and Asia. The pandemic and implementation of COVID-19 containment measures will greatly affect perinatal health [14][15][16]. For instance, the fear of COVID-19 vertical transmission to unborn babies may affect pregnant women's access to antenatal care, lockdowns and movement restrictions may cut-off access to social support, and physical distancing causing social isolation, which may contribute to elevated stress and anxiety [15,16].…”