Psychosocial experiences of postnatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic. A UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety

Fallon, Victoria; Davies, Siân; Silverio, Sergio A.; Jackson, Leanne; Pascalis, Leonardo De; Harrold, Joanne A.

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.01.048

Cited by 105 publications

(141 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(50 reference statements)

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“…Based on the findings reported in a recent systematic review, the prevalence of depression in our study was higher than the overall pooled prevalence of depression (31.4%, 95% CI: 27.3–35.5%) reported in the general population during the COVID-19 lockdown [ 10 ]. Our findings are similar to some of the reports of postpartum depression in other countries, such as the United Kingdom [ 38 ], Canada [ 14 ], Spain [ 39 ], and Turkey [ 18 ], but the prevalence found in our study was lower than the prevalence of 58% reported among postpartum women in Spain [ 22 ]. Likewise, in our study, the prevalence of postpartum depression was higher than the prevalence reported in Italian [ 40 ], Chinese [ 25 ], and Turkish [ 41 ] women.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Total scores range between 0 and 40, with higher scores indicating more perceived stress. In the present study, perceived stress was classified as low (0-13), moderate (14-26), or high (27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40), as suggested by others [35,36]. The PSS-10 scale had good reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89).…”

Section: Primary Outcomes and Psychological Questionnairessupporting

confidence: 49%

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Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Perceived Stress in Postpartum Mexican Women during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Suárez-Rico

Estrada-Gutiérrez

Sánchez-Martínez

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The COVID-19 lockdown represents a new challenge for mental health researchers and clinical practitioners. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress in postpartum Mexican women. The study included 293, 4–12-week postpartum women over the age of 18. The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Trait-State Trait Anxiety Inventory (T-STAI), and Ten Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), which are all questionnaires validated for the Mexican population, were applied using a web-based online survey. Prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the maternal age was 29.9 ± 6.3 years; the EPDS score: 11 ± 6, T-STAI score: 41.7 ± 12.3, and PSS-10 score: 17.1 ± 7. The prevalence (95% CI) of the postpartum depression symptoms was 39.2% (34–45%), trait anxiety symptoms were found among 46.1% (32–43%) of the participants, and moderate and high perceived stress were in 58% (52–64) and 10.9% (7.8–15) of the participants, respectively. The prevalence of depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, and perceived stress was higher among postpartum Mexican women during the COVID-19 outbreak than before the lockdown. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring perinatal mental health during pandemics and the need to design effective psychologic interventions for these patients.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Primary Outcomes and Psychological Questionnairessupporting

confidence: 49%

Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Perceived Stress in Postpartum Mexican Women during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Suárez-Rico

Estrada-Gutiérrez

Sánchez-Martínez

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Like other postnatal women in the pandemic, physical distancing requirements and the general fear and anxiety that accompanied the pandemic impacted some participants' mental health. 12,19,50,51 Women in our study described the stresses and pressures they faced as a result of decreased informal support, increased childcare and homeschooling demands, and the closures/restrictions of valuable support services (e.g., doulas)-all of which have been reported in other literature with non-newcomer women. 10,14,19 These stressors were coupled with feelings of disappointment and loss related to missed or robbed birth-and postnatal-related moments and milestones.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

“COVID Affected Us All:” The Birth and Postnatal Health Experiences of Resettled Syrian Refugee Women During COVID-19 in Canada

Cameron

Ramos

Aston

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background: Prior to COVID-19, postnatal resettled refugee women in Canada reported barriers to healthcare and low levels of social support, contributing to maternal health morbidities. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be further exacerbating health inequities for marginalized populations—yet the experiences of resettled refugee women are not fully known. Aim: To understand Syrian refugee women’s experiences accessing postnatal healthcare services and supports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with eight resettled Syrian refugee women living in Nova Scotia (Canada) who were postnatal between March and August 2020. Data analysis was informed by constructivist grounded theory. Findings: Three themes emerged: “the impacts of COVID-19 on postnatal healthcare;” “loss of informal support;” and “grief and anxiety.” Women experienced difficult healthcare interactions, including socially and physically isolated deliveries, challenges accessing in-person interpreters, and cancelled or unavailable in-home services (e.g., public health nurse and doula visits). Increased childcare responsibilities and limited informal supports due to pandemic restrictions left women feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Stay-at-home orders resulted in some women reporting feelings of isolation and loss, as they were unable to share in person postnatal moments with friends and family, ultimately impacting their mental wellness. Conclusions: COVID-19 and associated public health restrictions had significant impacts on postnatal Syrian refugee women. Data presented in this study demonstrated the ways in which the pandemic environment and related restrictions amplified pre-existing barriers to care and postnatal health inequalities for resettled refugee women—particularly a lack of postnatal informal supports and systemic barriers to care.

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“…It must be highlighted that the findings from this study are to be considered in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research conducted during the first UK national lockdown in 2020 [ 52 ] found that state anxiety (assessed using the STAI state scale (STAI-S)) amongst new mothers was high with 61% of women in the 0–12 week postnatal period reporting a score of 40 or above, signifying clinically relevant anxiety [ 38 ]. Additionally, pandemic levels of anxiety were significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels of anxiety, assessed by comparison to a study using matched methods and recruiting a postnatal population of similar characteristics [ 53 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The remaining 4 women with diagnoses were not on medication. It was important to include individuals with psychological diagnoses (28.95%) in the study as this was thought to reflect similar proportions in the postnatal population at the time (29.8% anxiety and/or depression diagnoses, Spring/Summer 2020 [ 38 ]). Nine women reported physical health diagnoses: 5 with asthma, 1 with diabetes, 1 with Crohns disease, 1 with Hodgkin lymphoma and 1 with asthma and arthritis.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of Life

2021

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The postnatal period is a significant period of physical, physiological and psychological change for mothers, rendering them particularly vulnerable to changes in mood or disorders such as postnatal depression (PND). Previous interventions with foods high in flavonoids have demonstrated beneficial acute and chronic mood effects in healthy child, adolescent and adult populations. It is unclear whether mood effects persist in populations who are potentially at-risk of developing mood disorders, such as postnatal mothers. This exploratory study investigated the effects of a 2-week daily dietary flavonoid intervention on mood (PANAS-NOW), anxiety (STAI), depressive symptoms (PHQ-8) and perceived quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) in forty-one new mothers in the 0–12-month postnatal period, before and after flavonoid intervention. Mothers either added high flavonoid foods to their daily diet, or did not include additions following a randomised, between-groups, controlled design. Significant effects were observed in the flavonoid group with mothers reporting lower state anxiety and higher perceived quality of physical health at the 2-week timepoint. These findings suggest that regular dietary consumption of flavonoids may benefit mothers’ anxiety and perceived quality of life in the postnatal period. Replication of these results may indicate the potential for dietary flavonoids to promote healthy mood regulation in mothers or prevent the onset or severity of symptoms in postnatal psychological disorders, both of which would be beneficial for women’s health services and public mental health.

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Psychosocial experiences of postnatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic. A UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety

Cited by 105 publications

References 34 publications

Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Perceived Stress in Postpartum Mexican Women during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Perceived Stress in Postpartum Mexican Women during the COVID-19 Lockdown

“COVID Affected Us All:” The Birth and Postnatal Health Experiences of Resettled Syrian Refugee Women During COVID-19 in Canada

Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of Life

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