Abstract
Objective: This study aims to investigate perinatal depression in women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, and to evaluate the effect of the pandemic on perinatal depression prevalence.Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted into women hospitalized for delivery in Hubei Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital from December 31, 2019 to March 22, 2020, a period which encompasses the entire time frame of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was adopted to evaluate perinatal depression status. A Chi-square test and logistic regression model were utilized for data analysis.Results: A total of 2,883 participants were included, 33.71% of whom were found to suffer from depressive symptoms. In detail, 27.02%, 5.24%, and 1.46% were designated as having mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms, respectively. The perinatal depression prevalence increased as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened. Compared to the period from December 31, 2019 to January 12, 2020, perinatal depression risk significantly decreased within the 3 weeks of March 2–22, 2020 (1st week: OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.78; 2nd week: OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.73; and 3rd week: OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.94); and the postnatal depression risk significantly rose within the four weeks of January 27-February 23, 2020 (1st week: OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.68; 2nd week: OR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.35, 3.04; 3rd week: OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.14; and 4th week: OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.20, 2.48).Conclusion: The dynamic change of perinatal depression was associated with the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic among new mothers who were exposed to the pandemic. An elevated risk of postnatal depression was also observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
In December 2019, a novel virus, officially named SARSCoV-2, caused an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan
This study aims to investigate the prevalence of perinatal depression in hospitalized maternal women and to evaluate the depression risk in relation to COVID-19 pandemic exposure
A total of 4,895 inpatients in the hospital were eligible during the study period, and 2,937 of them agreed to participate in the survey
Summary
In December 2019, a novel virus, officially named SARSCoV-2, caused an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan. The disease was named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the WHO. The newly identified SARS-CoV-2 virus was one of high transmissibility [1]. The COVID-19 pandemic has since spread across China and around the world. On January 30, 2020, the WHO declared the virus a public health emergency of international concern, and a worldwide pandemic on March 12, 2020 [2]. The ongoing pandemic has posed a great threat to the physical and mental health of affected individuals
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