Postpartum mental health visits surged by more than 25% in a pandemic, according to a survey

However, in addition to the usual stress of giving birth to a newborn, the overwhelming tension of isolation and uncertainty was created after the birth of her daughter Ellis in March, just before the third case began to occur in Manitoba. It really increased.

“The excitement of being a mother collapsed, the numbers went up, and everything was snowballing,” she said.

Moran remembered that the limit was that he had to endure a sleepless night for a few weeks after his daughter was born, and the next day he was driving around alone and exhausted to get the job done. I was always worried if I was still breathing in the back seat.

“When I was driving home, I thought I couldn’t do any more without some help,” she said.

Shortly after returning home, Moran made an appointment with his doctor.

Her experience reflects what many Canadian parents said during the pandemic — anxiety, stress, and burnout are high among people with children — but in Moran’s case, she I knew it was time to reach the limit and ask for help …

A Canadian study that has just been published now suggests that the burden on new mothers in particular has led to an increase in postnatal individuals seeking mental health support after childbirth.

Up to 34% visits per month

The study published on Monday Canadian Medical Association Journal According to a team of researchers in Toronto, monthly postnatal mental health visits in Ontario surged by an average of more than 25% over most of 2020 compared to the average year.

The research team was led by Dr. Simone Vigod, Principal of Psychiatry at Women’s College Hospital and Principal Researcher at the Institute for Clinical Evaluation Science, a non-profit health information organization. They examined more than 137,000 demographic data and mental health visits in Ontario during the postpartum period from March to November 2020.

Demand has increased significantly since April after Ontario declared an emergency in mid-March, and the proportion of people using monthly postnatal care is 16-34 compared to data collected from the previous year. % Increased. According to research.

“We’re talking about a huge increase in needs,” Vigod told CBC News.

“People who see a doctor, get a diagnosis, and probably need treatment”

And while her team’s findings focused on one state, the other parents had to endure months of isolation and limited postpartum support from relatives and friends. She expects similar trends in the region.

New parents vulnerable to “best times”

Dr. Tari Bogler, chief of family medicine and obstetrics at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, agreed that the burden on the mental health of new mothers and families, not just after childbirth, is likely to be a problem across Canada. ..

Since launching a social media-based initiative called the Pandemic Pregnancy Guide with colleagues in April 2020, she said: Instagram account has over 30,000 followers, And her team is currently responding to questions and concerns from parents across the country.

“The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the perinatal population. Perinatal means pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after childbirth,” she said.

According to Bogler, medical professionals estimate that in the pre-pandemic era, about one in five perinatal patients will usually deal with mental health problems such as anxiety and depressive symptoms. And these numbers are now believed to have increased significantly.

“This is especially vulnerable people at the best of times,” she said. “It’s a big shift in personal life and family life.”

Many areas were blocked during the pandemic, often disrupting normal support networks for families, and previous studies suggested that lack of support adversely affected parents’ mental health. It was.

One September poll of more than 1,000 Canadian adults For example, a study by the Toronto Center for Poisoning and Mental Health reports that 30% of parents with children under the age of 18 feel depressed. This is 10% higher than the percentage of adults without children who reported feeling the same.

Low-income patients can face barriers

Vigod wasn’t surprised that her research team found a surge in mental health visits, as in previous types of research, but she was surprised at the size needed. I did.

Also unexpected was that the lowest-income group in her study had the least increase in visit rates.

“This raises concerns about the potential for unmet needs, as low-income patients may have greater barriers to access to care,” the study said. ..

See | Mothers in the Winnipeg area explain that they are feeling anxious after childbirth:

Abigail Moran, a mother in the Winnipeg region, says her anxiety soared as cases of COVID-19 began to rise again in Manitoba shortly after giving birth to her daughter Ellis in March. She says she was limited to finding out that she needed more support, especially one day. 0:53

This means that it is difficult to provide the home technology needed for increasingly common online bookings, or that there is a lack of private space to virtually meet with healthcare professionals when living in a crowded home. The team wrote that it was possible.

The cost of mental health services themselves can also be a major barrier, she said. “There is limited access to affordable psychotherapy throughout Canada,” she said.

Both Vigod and Bogler emphasize that there is increasing data showing that the family is in a tense state, indicating that more support is needed, including postpartum mothers.

“Healthcare systems need to actively focus on high-risk groups of patients, monitor care waiting lists, and seek creative solutions to increase system capacity, in particular. We are paying attention to postpartum patients who may be experiencing barriers to care. “

Mental health issues are not an option, mothers say

In Moran’s case, her appointment led to the prescription of anxiolytics she used many years ago and some new coping strategies.

As it’s getting warmer, she spends most of her time outside with Ellis, usually taking care of the backyard of a country house, while her partner is working. She said she was looking forward to spending more time with her family and friends.

She also needs to understand the hardships faced by new parents, even now, more than a year after the pandemic of other Canadians, and a major change in life during the global health crisis. He said it wasn’t the fault of anyone dealing with.

Moran sometimes asks why she didn’t wait to have a baby, but she said she couldn’t expect people to put her life on hold for such a long time.

“We chose to have a baby,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean we chose to have all of the mental health that accompanies it.