Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze stress and anxiety levels experienced by pregnant and post-partum women during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to indicate the social and medical factors that could contribute to stress and anxiety. A total of 210 patients were enrolled in the study. Two well-established test-tools were applied: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The study revealed that the levels of stress and anxiety experienced by the surveyed patients were moderate to high. We demonstrated that women with mental treatment history, those in the first trimester of pregnancy and the ones that are single or in an informal relationship tend to experience higher levels of psychological distress and anxiety. Such factors as age, education, parity, eventful obstetric history, comorbidities, and the number of hospital stays proved to be statistically insignificant in the analysis. Our findings could be used to identify patients at greater risk of experiencing adverse mental effects and to provide them with adequate psychological support. Further multi-center studies are warranted in order to draw final conclusions.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic is a new and rapidly evolving health problem which currently affects the lives of most people worldwide
We aimed to identify both social factors and medical conditions that could contribute to stress and anxiety levels in these patients
The results of our study reveal a statistically significant correlation between the history of mental treatment and high levels of anxiety in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)-trait (p = 0.0001): 69% of patients with such history showed high levels of anxiety in comparison to only 29% in the subgroup with no such treatment (Table 2)
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic is a new and rapidly evolving health problem which currently affects the lives of most people worldwide. Does COVID-19 alter our everyday routine and behavior, but it undoubtedly presents a great psychological strain [2], which could result in PTSD development in vulnerable individuals [3]. Pregnancy is a rewarding yet challenging period of life, which demands physical, psychological and social adjustment to a new role. Pregnant women are not prone to experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety in comparison to non-pregnant controls [4,5]. Women with complicated pregnancies report higher levels of anxiety symptoms compared to low-risk pregnant subjects [6,7]. Literature data on the impact of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy outcome and its long-time influence on the neonate and infant are still rather scarce.
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