The Impact of COVID-19 on Anxious and Depressive Symptomatology in the Postpartum Period

Daniela Pereira, Brigite Wildenberg, Andreia Gaspar, Carolina Cabaços, Nuno Madeira, António Macedo and Ana Telma Pereira
Additional contact information
Daniela Pereira: Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
Brigite Wildenberg: Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
Andreia Gaspar: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Bissaya Barreto Maternity Hospital, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3000-045 Coimbra, Portugal
Carolina Cabaços: Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
Nuno Madeira: Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
António Macedo: Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
Ana Telma Pereira: Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-13

Abstract: Background: Women in the postpartum period may be particularly vulnerable to the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on postpartum depression and anxiety levels and the role of the fear of COVID-19 in its development. Methods: Women who delivered at the Bissaya Barreto Maternity Hospital, between 16 March and 16 June 2020 (Group 1: Birth in COVID-19 period, n = 207), recruited in the postpartum period, filled in a set of self-reported validated questionnaires: Perinatal Depression Screening Scale, Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale, Profile of Mood States, Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire, Dysfunctional Beliefs Towards Maternity Scale, and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Levels of depressive and anxious symptomatology, negative affect, negative repetitive thinking, and the dysfunctional beliefs towards motherhood of these women were compared with data from samples of previous studies that included women whose delivery had occurred at the same Maternity Hospital before the COVID-19 pandemic period (Group 2: Birth before the COVID-19 period, n = 212). Results: Based on the cutoff points of the screening scales, the prevalence of clinically relevant depressive and anxious symptoms in Group 1 was 40.1% and 36.2%, respectively. Women in Group 1 had significantly higher levels of anxious and depressive symptoms, negative affect, negative repetitive thinking, and dysfunctional beliefs towards motherhood than women in Group 2 ( p < 0.05). Fear of COVID-19 in the postpartum period was a predictor of depressive (ß = 0.262) and anxious (ß = 0.371) symptoms, explaining 6.9% and 13.7% of their variability, respectively ( p < 0.001). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, women in the postpartum period present greater depressive and anxious symptomatology, as well as increased risk factors.

Keywords: COVID-19; perinatal depression; perinatal anxiety; fear of COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7833/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7833/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7833-:d:848232

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().