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Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a collective trauma that is threatening citizens' mental health resulting in increased emotional stress, reduced social support, and heightened risk for affective symptoms. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of antenatal pandemic-related emotional stress and perceived social support on the symptoms of depression and anxiety of mothers who were pregnant during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in northern Italy. A sample of 281 mothers was enrolled at eight maternity units in the first hotspot region of the COVID-19 outbreak in northern Italy. Participants filled out online questionnaires assessing the direct or indirect exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, pandemic-related stress, perceived social support, as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety. Depressive and anxious symptomatology was above clinical concern, respectively, in 26 and 32% of the respondents. Mothers who reported no exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy and those who reported at least one direct or indirect exposure did not differ in terms of affective symptoms. Continuous scores and risk for severe depression and anxiety were positively associated with prenatal pandemic-related emotional stress and negatively linked with perceived social support during pregnancy. Women who become mothers during the COVID-19 emergency may be at high risk for affective problems. Dedicated preventive programs are needed to provide adequate preventive support and care for maternal mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide during the first months of 2020 and it is acknowledged as an unprecedented pandemic [1]
During pregnancy... 1 I tested positive for COVID-19 2 I had symptoms reminiscent of COVID-19 3 I had contacts with relatives or friends who tested positive for COVID-19 4 I live in a high contagion zone 5 I had contacts with relatives or friends who live in a high contagion zone 6 One of my relatives or friends was hospitalized due to the COVID-19 infection 7 One of my relatives or friends died with COVID-19 B
Emotional stress (Response: 5-point Liker scale, 1= not at all; 2= slightly; 3= Moderately; 4= Very much; 5= Extremely) During pregnancy... 1 How much worried were you about the risk of COVID-19 infection? 2 How much did you feel that your pregnancy was at risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic? 3 How much did you fear for your health? 4 How much did you fear for your baby’s health? 5 How much did you feel that you were losing confidence in your health? 6 How much did you feel you had lost faith in medicine?
Summary
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide during the first months of 2020 and it is acknowledged as an unprecedented pandemic [1]. The pandemic is a collective traumatic experience that may indirectly affect the mental health of expecting women and mothers increasing the levels of perceived stress during a period of heightened plasticity [9, 10]. Studies conducted during the first months of the COVID-19 healthcare emergency are highlighting high levels of stress and reduced psychosocial well-being among pregnant women and mothers during the pandemic [18, 19]. Greater risk has been documented for symptoms of anxiety, which were among the most reported psychological symptoms in pregnant women and mothers in different countries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic [21,22,23,24]
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