Maternal fear of COVID-19 and prevalence of postnatal depression symptoms, risk and protective factors

Gluska, Hadar; Shiffman, Noga; Mayer, Yael; Elyasyan, Lior; Elia, Nofar; Daher, Rawan; Weiner, Maya Sharon; Miremberg, Hadas; Kovo, Michal; Biron‐Shental, Tal; Gabbay‐Benziv, Rinat

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.015

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…In addition, the present findings demonstrate a slight (but not significant) increase in distress from pregnancy to 6-weeks postpartum. Similarly, prior longitudinal research conducted during the pandemic reported elevated levels of depression from pregnancy to the first few months of postpartum (Duguay et al, 2022;Gluska et al, 2022). Research prior to the pandemic identified 12 weeks postpartum as the period with the highest prevalence of postpartum depression, with a marked decline thereafter (Liu et al, 2021).…”

Section: Distress Levels Across Time: Pregnancy To 15-months Postpartummentioning

confidence: 84%

“…In addition, other studies have followed participants from pregnancy to the postpartum, during the pandemic, and have shown elevated rates of mental health problems. For example, Gluska et al (2022) showed that women in Israel experienced increased levels of depressive symptoms from 3-to 6-months postpartum during the pandemic. Additionally, a study of pregnant people in Quebec, Canada, found that prenatal maternal distress was associated with distress at 2-months postpartum, and that postpartum distress mediated the association between prenatal distress and early infant social-emotional development (Duguay et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trajectories of distress from pregnancy to 15-months post-partum during the COVID-19 pandemic

et al. 2023

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BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has particularly burdened pregnant and postpartum women. It remains unclear how distress levels of pregnant and postpartum people have changed (or persisted) as the pandemic continues on and which factors may contribute to these trajectories of distress.MethodsThis longitudinal study included 304 pregnant people, who were followed during pregnancy, 6-weeks, 6-months and 15-months postpartum. At each time point, a latent “distress” factor was estimated using self-reported depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress. Reported negative impact of COVID-19 and social support were assessed during pregnancy as risk and protective factors related to distress. Second-order latent growth curve modeling with a piecewise growth function was used to estimate initial levels and changes in distress over time.ResultsMean distress was relatively stable from the pregnancy to 6-weeks postpartum and then declined from 6-weeks to 15-months postpartum. Higher education, greater social support, and lower negative impact of COVID-19 were associated with a lower distress during pregnancy. Unexpectedly, negative impact of COVID-19 was associated with a faster decrease in distress and more social support was associated with a greater increase in distress from pregnancy to 6-weeks postpartum. However, these effects became non-significant after controlling for distress during pregnancy.ConclusionFindings indicate high but declining levels of distress from pregnancy to the postpartum period. Changes in distress are related to social support and the negative impact of the pandemic in pregnancy. Findings highlight the continued impact of COVID-19 on perinatal mental health and the need for support to limit the burden of this pandemic on pregnant people and families.

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Section: Distress Levels Across Time: Pregnancy To 15-months Postpartummentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trajectories of distress from pregnancy to 15-months post-partum during the COVID-19 pandemic

et al. 2023

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“…During T1, 1079 (74%) were contacted by phone. In total, 774 (53%) consented to answering the online questionnaires, and 429 (29%) answered over 70% of the questionnaires [ 19 ] and were later re-approached at T2. Among them, 377 (87.9%) gave their consent, and 246 completed at least 70% of the T2 questionnaires and thus entered the analysis ( Figure 1 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, social distancing and lockdowns have led to limited maternal social support networks, as well as limited access to health care services. This, in turn, has increased the maternal risk for the development of psychological disorders [ 15 , 19 ]. Moreover, the use of personal protective equipment was found to be an independent factor for developing depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms during the postpartum period [ 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postpartum Depression in COVID-19 Days: Longitudinal Study of Risk and Protective Factors

Gluska

Shiffman

Mayer

et al. 2022

JCM

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COVID-19 impacted the childbirth experience and increased the rates of postpartum depression (PPD). We assessed the longitudinal effects of the pandemic on the rates of PPD and evaluated the PPD causes and symptoms among women who delivered during the first COVID-19 quarantine in Israel. The participants completed online questionnaires 3 (T1) and 6 months (T2) following delivery. We used the ‘COVID-19 exposure’ questionnaire, while PPD symptoms, situational anxiety, and social support were evaluated with the EPDS, STAI, and MSPSS questionnaires. The mean EPDS scores increased between T1 and T2 (6.31 ± 5.6 vs. 6.92 ± 5.9, mean difference −0.64 ± 4.59 (95% CI (−1.21)–(−0.06)); t (244) = −2.17, p = 0.031), and the STAI scores decreased (45.35 ± 16.4 vs. 41.47 ± 14.0, t(234) = 4.39, p = 0.000). Despite the exposure to an increased number of COVID-19 events (3.63 ± 1.8 vs. (6.34 ± 2.3)), the impact of exposure decreased between T1 and T2 (8.91 ± 4.6 vs. 7.47 ± 4.1), p < 0.001). In the MSPSS, significant differences were noted on the family scale between the T1 (6.10 ± 1.3) and T2 (5.91 ± 1.4) scores; t (216) = 2.68, p = 0.0008. A regression analysis showed three statistically significant variables that correlated with increased EPDS scores: the MSPSS family subscale (F (1212.00) = 4.308, p = 0.039), the STAI scores (F (1212.00) = 31.988, p = 0.000), and the impact of exposure to COVID-19 (F (1212.00) = 5.038, p = 0.026). The rates of PPD increased for women who delivered during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Further research is warranted to help reduce PPD among these women.

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“…For mothers, thinking about the consequences of COVID-19 was strongly associated with fear, anxiety, 9 and maternal depression. 10 Pandemic-related fears have been associated with increased mental health problems, especially among those with a history of depression. 11 However, it is hypothesized that mothers’ fears for their children could also impact their own mental health, especially depression and anxiety symptoms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The association between maternal fears about their infant/ toddler during the COVID-19 pandemic and depression and anxiety: a birth cohort study

Foschiera,

Moro,

Getulino

et al. 2023

Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry

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Objective: To assess the association between maternal fears about their infant/toddler and depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In 2019, all mothers who gave birth in hospitals in Rio Grande, RS, Brazil were asked to respond to a standardized questionnaire (baseline). We followed them between May-June 2020 (first follow-up point), August-December 2020 (second follow-up point), and from October 2021 to March 2022 (third follow-up point), and asked them if they were: (1) afraid that their infant/toddler would become infected with COVID or get sick (yes/no), (2) afraid that they would contaminate their own child with COVID, and/or (3) worried about the pandemic’s effects on their child’s future. At baseline and at all follow-up points, we assessed depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and anxiety symptoms using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, creating symptom trajectories using group-based trajectory modelling. We used multinomial logistic regression to calculate adjusted relative risk ratios (RRR). Results: A total of 1,296 mothers participated. Worrying about the pandemic’s effects on their child’s future and the fear of contaminating their own child with COVID-19 increased the risk of raising depressive symptoms to a clinical level (RRR = 4.97, 95%CI 2.32-10.64 and RRR = 3.87, 95%CI 1.58-9.47, respectively) and anxiety to a moderate level (RRR = 2.91, 95%CI 1.69-5.01 and RRR = 1.86, 95%CI 1.03-3.35, respectively). Conclusion: Fear for their children increased maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic.

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Maternal fear of COVID-19 and prevalence of postnatal depression symptoms, risk and protective factors

Cited by 7 publications

References 24 publications

Trajectories of distress from pregnancy to 15-months post-partum during the COVID-19 pandemic

Trajectories of distress from pregnancy to 15-months post-partum during the COVID-19 pandemic

Postpartum Depression in COVID-19 Days: Longitudinal Study of Risk and Protective Factors

The association between maternal fears about their infant/ toddler during the COVID-19 pandemic and depression and anxiety: a birth cohort study

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