Intentions to Seek Mental Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Chinese Pregnant Women With Probable Depression or Anxiety: Cross-sectional, Web-Based Survey Study.

Qian Wang,Anise Wu,Bo Song,Meiqi Xin,Jiangli Di,Linhong Wang,Joseph Lau,Xue Yang,Phoenix Kit-Han Mo

doi:10.2196/24162

Abstract

BackgroundMental health problems are prevalent among pregnant women, and it is expected that their mental health will worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the underutilization of mental health services among pregnant women has been widely documented.ObjectiveWe aimed to identify factors that are associated with pregnant women’s intentions to seek mental health services. We specifically assessed pregnant women who were at risk of mental health problems in mainland China.MethodsA web-based survey was conducted from February to March, 2020 among 19,515 pregnant women who were recruited from maternal health care centers across various regions of China. A subsample of 6248 pregnant women with probable depression (ie, those with a score of ≥10 on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire) or anxiety (ie, those with a score of ≥5 on the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder Scale) was included in our analysis.ResultsMore than half (3292/6248, 52.7%) of the participants reported that they did not need mental health services. Furthermore, 28.3% (1770/6248) of participants felt that they needed mental health services, but had no intentions of seeking help, and only 19% (1186/6248) felt that they needed mental health services and had intentions of seek help. The results from our multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, education level, and gestational age were factors of not seeking help. However, COVID-19–related lockdowns in participants’ cities of residence, social support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and trust in health care providers were protective factors of participants’ intentions to seek help from mental health services.ConclusionsInterventions that promote seeking help for mental health problems among pregnant women should also promote social support from health care providers and trust between pregnant women and their care providers.

Highlights

Overview of the COVID-19 PandemicCOVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease that has resulted in considerable public health risks across the globe
This study aimed to examine intentions to seek mental health services among pregnant women who are at risk of mental health problems during the COVID-19 period in China, and to identify the background, pregnancy-related, contextual, and interpersonal factors that are associated with help-seeking intentions
It is important to understand the factors of help-seeking intentions among pregnant women with mental health risks during an epidemic period, as early intervention can reduce the negative impact that mental problems can have on both mothers and children in the long term

Summary

Introduction

Overview of the COVID-19 PandemicCOVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease that has resulted in considerable public health risks across the globe. The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 epidemic a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. It was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020 [2]. Mental health problems are prevalent among pregnant women, and it is expected that their mental health will worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The underutilization of mental health services among pregnant women has been widely documented. COVID-19–related lockdowns in participants’ cities of residence, social support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and trust in health care providers were protective factors of participants’ intentions to seek help from mental health services. Conclusions: Interventions that promote seeking help for mental health problems among pregnant women should promote social support from health care providers and trust between pregnant women and their care providers

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Conclusion