COVID-19 deepens depression and anxiety in pregnant and postpartum women

Boston [US]: After investigating pregnant women and women who gave birth recently, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found COVID-19-related grief and health concerns about depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder ( I found that it was exacerbating the symptoms of PTSD).
The results were shared in a new study published in the Psychiatry Review.
“We already know that the perinatal period is a time when women are particularly vulnerable to mental health concerns,” said Dr. Cindy Liu, the corresponding author of the Department of Pediatric Neonatal Medicine and Psychiatry. I did.
“We mainly wanted to see which factors related to the pandemic were related to the symptoms of mental health,” Liu added.
Researchers have launched a perinatal experience and COVID-19 effect study (PEACE) to better understand the mental health and well-being of pregnant and postpartum individuals in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. ..
Of these 1,123 women surveyed between May 21, 2020 and August 17, 2020, one in three (36.4 percent) of the researchers had clinically significant levels of depression. I found what I reported.
Prior to the pandemic, the rate of perinatal depression (depression that occurs during or after pregnancy) was generally thought to be 15 to 20 percent. In addition, 1 in 5 (22.7%) reported clinically significant levels of generalized anxiety, and 1 in 10 (10.3%) reported symptoms above the clinical threshold of PTSD.
In particular, researchers found that about 9% of participants reported feelings of intense sadness, loss, or disappointment as a result of a pandemic.
This group was about five times more likely to experience clinically significant measurements of mental health symptoms. More respondents (18%) reported that they were “very worried” or “very worried” about COVID-19-related health risks.
This group was up to four times more likely to experience clinically significant psychological symptoms.
Researchers recruited participants in the PEACE survey, primarily through word-of-mouth, using posts on mailing lists and social media groups.

As a result, the sample population was fairly homogeneous, 89.9% were Caucasian, 92.1% were at least college-educated, and 98% lived with their spouse or partner, they said. Household income of 45% of participants was over US $ 150,000.
“People who work from home, have maternity leave, or simply have time to do such a survey are disproportionately white and wealthy,” Liu said.
“That’s the limit of this job. Through research, we can get detailed information very quickly, but lack the perspective of various important segments of the population,” Liu added.
Researchers used a standardized scale to assess their experiences of COVID-19-related health concerns and grief. “We were looking for an association during this time to let us know what we could do as a clinical donor to better support our families,” said Dr. Karmina Elday, MD, co-author of the School of Pediatric Neonatal Medicine. I am.
“We wanted to know what would be deprived when a new mother couldn’t attend the usual rituals of childbirth and welcoming a new family. The survey responses provided valuable insights about it, It will help guide what we can do as medical professionals, “elday added.
Researchers were able to investigate how previous self-reported mental health diagnoses by respondents affected these rates.
They found that those with an existing diagnosis were 1.6 to 3.7 times more likely to have clinically significant measurements of the three conditions analyzed. However, an increase in mental distress was observed in participants regardless of their mental health history.
Qualitative data collected through the survey also provided the team with impressive insights into their perinatal experience, but the findings have not yet been systematically analyzed.
Researchers found that the subjects’ mental health experience was consistent with what was clinically observed early in the pandemic, and that they provided support for normal perinatal support, such as support from a partner, family, or group of peers. Many say they were restricted due to fear. Surrounding COVID-19 infection risk and outage of support services.
“Psychiatric co-authors, Dr. Lina Mittal, said,” Obstetrics could not screen for mental health symptoms while people’s mental health was under the greatest pressure. ” ..
“Mental health support has been sustained and is back in new ways. The amount of innovation surrounding providing group and individual care, especially using virtual platforms, is staggering. In terms of psychiatry, We weren’t busy. Anyone who feels they need personal and family mental health care should look for it, “Mittal added.