OP03.05: Mental wellbeing among pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID‐19 pandemic: a large international survey

Abstract

To assess the mental well-being of pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional, web-based international survey was carried out between May 15 and October 15, 2020. The survey was available in English, Spanish, Italian and Russian and promoted through social media and health care professionals. The questions evaluated sociodemographic characteristics, medical and obstetric history, COVID-19 symptoms and infection. The World Health Organization well-being index (WHO-5) was used to assess mental health status. Pregnant and postpartum women up to 12 months postpartum who were older than 18 years of age were eligible. Women were classified as having a low (WHO-5 ≦52) or high (WHO-5 > 52) mental well-being. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify factors associated with low mental well-being. A total of 4221 patients provided valid surveys for analysis (3324 pregnant and 897 postpartum women). The mean (±SD) WHO-5 scores for pregnant and postpartum women were 54.3 ± 20.3 and 54.7 ± 21, respectively. Low mental well-being was observed in 42% and 40% of pregnant and postpartum women respectively. Factors associated with low mental well-being included residence in a South American country (p < 0.001), being a single mother (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.001), having a respiratory or a psychiatric disorder (p = 0.02 and 0.03 respectively), multiparity (p < 0.001), the presence of symptoms like difficulty breathing (p = 0.02), diarrhoea (p = 0.04) and muscle pain (p < 0.001), and the pandemic period (p < 0.001). The second and third trimesters of pregnancy and the postpartum period were associated with higher mental well-being compared to the first trimester (p < 0.001). A history of hospital admission, pneumonia, or intensive care unit admission due to COVID-19 infection was not associated with worse mental well-being score. Sociodemographic characteristics, and not the SARS-COV-2 infection, were the determinants of mental well-being among pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic.