Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Anxiety and Depression Levels in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Objective: Our objectives in this study are to understand the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health during pregnancy and to determine the levels of depression, stress, and anxiety, to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of pregnant women about COVID-19 infection during the pandemic period, to be able to provide evidence-based data to all authorities involved in the prevention of depression and anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our secondary objective is to determine pregnant women's risk and protective factors regarding the levels of anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak.
 Methods: Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaires were applied to pregnant women to assess depression and anxiety. The same questionnaire was previously applied to pregnant participants for another study before the pandemic. In addition, the same questionnaire was applied to the pregnant participants during the pandemic process. The questionnaire was applied face-to-face to pregnant women admitted to the hospital, while those who could not come to the hospital were given a link to the electronic version of the questionnaire.
 Results: A total of 1,527 participants were included in the study. Participants were divided into two groups as pre-pandemic and pandemic-period. Demographic data were similar, while BMI values were significantly higher in the pandemic group (p:0.002). Gravida values were also significantly higher in the pre-pandemic group. The BAI and BDI scores of the group in the pandemic were 21.50±12.15 and 23.61±11.03, respectively, and the BAI and BDI scores of the pre-pandemic group were 12.70±11.78 and 12.33±9.39, respectively. The BAI and BDI scores were significantly higher in the pandemic-period group than in the pre-pandemic group.
 Conclusion: BDI and BAI scores increased in pregnant women during the pandemic. It is possible to improve the psychological conditions of pregnant women and prevent complications by recognizing the psychological conditions of pregnant women, provide information and emotional support, and provide other psychological interventions to help them recover.