Repercussions of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Pregnant and Puerperal Women: A Systematic Review

Vieira, Leticia Genova; Camargo, E.; Schneider, Guilherme; Silva, Gabrielly Pereira Rocatti da; Thomazini, Micaella; Possani, Matheus Arantes; Matioli, Matheus Rozário; Ibiapina, Aline Raquel de Sousa

doi:10.1101/2020.08.17.20176560

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The heightened levels of anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic found among Baby Buddy users are consistent with research among the general UK population [17] and perinatal populations from other countries [18]. A study of over 4000 pregnant women in China reported a significantly higher rate of depressive symptoms (measured on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), suggesting an increased risk of mental illness, including self-harm behaviors [19].…”

Section: Principal Findingssupporting

confidence: 74%

Experiences, Attitudes, and Needs of Users of a Pregnancy and Parenting App (Baby Buddy) During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

Rhodes¹,

Kheireddine²,

Smith³

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of expectant parents and parents of young babies, with disruption to healthcare provision and loss of social support. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 and associated lockdown on this population through the lens of users of the UK, NHS-approved pregnancy and parenting smartphone app, Baby Buddy. OBJECTIVE The study aims were threefold; firstly to gain insights into the attitudes and experiences of expectant parents and parents of young babies during the COVID-19 pandemic; secondly to investigate whether Baby Buddy is meeting the needs of its users at this time and thirdly to identify ways in which Baby Buddy could revise content to better support its users both now and in the future. METHODS A mixed methods study design combining an online survey with semi-structured telephone interviews amongst Baby Buddy users in the UK was applied. Data collection ran from April 15th to mid-June, corresponding to weeks 4 to 13 of UK in lockdown. RESULTS Online survey responses (n=436) and telephone interviews (n=32) revealed heightened levels of anxiety and stress amongst pregnant and postnatal respondents with over 88% (n= 386) of online survey respondents reporting increased levels of anxiety around pregnancy, birth and being a new parent. Loss of support from friends, family and healthcare services had detrimentally affected the wellbeing of respondents, leaving many feeling isolated, disregarded and overwhelmed. Whilst a minority identified some positive outcomes of lockdown, most respondents reported negative effects on their mental and physical health. Over 45% (n=106) of pregnant respondents were concerned about their physical health, with reduced levels of activity and poorer dietary behaviours being common. Postpartum respondents were especially worried about the effects of the lockdown on the development and socialisation of their baby. A total of 90% (n=392) of respondents reported that Baby Buddy was helping them at the moment, with many commenting that its role was even more important given the lack of face-to-face support from healthcare and parenting organisations. Greater speed in updating digital content to reflect changes brought about by the pandemic would have been appreciated. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic has created heightened anxiety and stress amongst expectant parents and those with a young baby, and for many, lockdown has had an adverse effect on physical and mental wellbeing. With a reduction in healthcare and social support, expectant and new parents are increasingly relying on online resources. As an evidence-based and free app, Baby Buddy is well positioned to meet this need. It could support its users even more by actively directing them to the wealth of existing content relevant to their concerns, and by adding content to give users the knowledge and confidence to meet the new challenges facing them.

show abstract

Section: Principal Findingssupporting

confidence: 74%

Experiences, Attitudes, and Needs of Users of a Pregnancy and Parenting App (Baby Buddy) During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

Rhodes¹,

Kheireddine²,

Smith³

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Several explanations may account for this result. For instance, it is possible that during this period, mothers were more worried and felt more fear of contracting COVID‐19, which may have led them to focus more on the future (Vieira et al., 2020 ) and be less mindful of the present moment. In addition, the need for social isolation during this pandemic phase and the consequent lack of instrumental support (e.g., assistance in domestic tasks and with infant care) may have left mothers feeling overwhelmed in their role as a mother and dealing with the baby's demands, reducing their ability to accept their mistakes and failures in parenting situations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of mothers’ self‐compassion on mother–infant bonding during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A longitudinal study exploring the mediating role of mindful parenting and parenting stress in the postpartum period

Fernandes

Canavarro

Moreira

2021

Infant Mental Health Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The current COVID‐19 pandemic is a challenging time for postpartum mothers, and associated challenges may have a negative impact on their parenting and, consequently, on mother–infant bonding. This study aimed to longitudinally explore whether mothers’ self‐compassion was associated with mother–infant bonding and whether this relationship was mediated by mindful parenting and parenting stress. A total of 125 Portuguese mothers of infants aged between 0 and 12 months completed an online survey at two assessment points during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic (T1: April–May 2020; T2: June–July 2020). The survey included several questionnaires assessing sociodemographic, clinical, and COVID‐19 information; self‐compassion; mindful parenting; parenting stress; and mother–infant bonding. Mothers presented significantly higher levels of self‐compassion, less impaired mother–infant bonding, and lower levels of depressive symptoms at T2 than T1. Higher levels of self‐compassion at T1 predicted less impaired mother–infant bonding at T2, and this relationship was mediated by higher levels of mindful parenting and lower levels of parenting stress (both assessed at T1). These results highlight the relevance of mothers’ self‐compassion to establishing mother–infant bonding in the postpartum period, particularly during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and the important role of mindful parenting and parenting stress in determining this relationship.

show abstract

“… 33 A systematic review investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant women revealed that social distancing, fear of infection, current economic situation, media pressure, disrupted routines, and the change in family rituals were intensifying factors of psychological distress among pregnant women. 34 The presence of PTSD symptoms among pregnant women was shown to have acute (e.g. preterm delivery) and long-term consequences (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of coronavirus 2019 pandemic on post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among pregnant women in Jordan

Bataineh

Mohamad

Dhaheri

et al. 2022

Womens Health (Lond Engl)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: To examine the prevalence of psychological symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak among pregnant women and its association with gestational age and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and November 2020 to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in pregnancy using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Pregnant women 18 years and older were recruited from antenatal and obstetrics clinics in Jordan. A total of 481 pregnant women participated in an online survey developed on Google Forms. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, mental health information, and lifestyle changes. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the Perceived Support Scale, and the Mental Health Lifestyle Scale were administered. Variables related to sociodemographic information and dietary behavior and perception during the COVID-19 pandemic were also assessed. Results: The results showed that 58.6% of pregnant women reported the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and women in the second trimester were more likely to show post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms compared with the first and third trimesters ( p = 0.001). Moreover, a higher level of education, employment, poor dietary habits, and changes due to the pandemic were significantly associated with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised score and the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with high rates of psychological distress among pregnant women. Identifying mothers at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may help improve maternity services and prevent adverse child outcomes.

show abstract

Repercussions of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Pregnant and Puerperal Women: A Systematic Review

Cited by 9 publications

References 35 publications

Experiences, Attitudes, and Needs of Users of a Pregnancy and Parenting App (Baby Buddy) During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

Experiences, Attitudes, and Needs of Users of a Pregnancy and Parenting App (Baby Buddy) During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

The role of mothers’ self‐compassion on mother–infant bonding during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A longitudinal study exploring the mediating role of mindful parenting and parenting stress in the postpartum period

Impact of coronavirus 2019 pandemic on post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among pregnant women in Jordan

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About