Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant women

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a worldwide problem, causing considerable repercussions on the physical and mental health of many people. This impact has a significant prevalence on the mental health of pregnant women, especially women in early pregnancy and younger. In this context, this study sought to discuss the various impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant women. This study is an integrative review that aims to answer the following guiding question “What is the latest information on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant women?”. The search was performed in the Medline, LILACS and SciELO databases, including complete clinical trials published in the last 5 years, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. Eleven articles were selected, making up this review's final sample. As a result, it was noted that the mental health of pregnant women was significantly impaired during the pandemic phase, increasing the occurrence of mental suffering, fear, depression, anxiety and stress. All these conditions were related to direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic, such as difficulty in accessing prenatal care, insecurities about an unpredictable virus, possibility of vertical transmission, decline in professional status and reduced income. Furthermore, it was found that high-quality sleep, higher levels of resilience, low screen time and physical exercise acted as protective factors against symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is concluded, therefore, that the COVID-19 pandemic is related to an increase in the prevalence of anxiety, depression and worsening of previous mental disorders in pregnant women, showing the need for public intervention to improve perinatal mental health during the period affected by the new coronavirus.