Abstract
BackgroundAlthough more and more attention has been paid to the psychological consequences of the lockdown policy amongst pregnant women, the underlying mechanism linking the lockdown policy to maternal depression has not been studied in the context of China. This study aimed to explore the association between the lockdown policy and maternal depressive symptoms, and whether such association was mediated by internet use and/or family support.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used multi-stage sampling techniques in central and western China. Data were collected from 1266 pregnant women using a structtured questionnaire that measured internet use, family support, and depressive symptoms. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to measure depressive symptoms. Internet use was measured by length of usage and varierity of purpose for internet use. Family support was measureed by spousal support and parental support. The structural equation modelling was employed to conduct mediation analysis to test the specificity of the hypothetical paths.ResultsOverall, 527 respondents (41.63%) presented depressive symptoms. The lockdown policy was negatively associated with depressive symptoms in pregnant women (β = − 0.925, 95% CI = −1.510, − 0.360). The impact of the lockdown policy on depressive symptoms was partially mediated by internet use (β = 1.589, 95% CI = 0.730, 2.807) and family support (β = − 0.162, 95% CI = − 0.341, − 0.017), accounting for 42.67% of the total effect.ConclusionsThe lockdown policy was generally associated with fewer depressive symptoms in pregnant women. The lockdown policy increased maternal depressive symptoms through increased internet use, but decreased maternal depressive symptoms through enhanced family support. The findings suggest that the psychological consequence of the lockdown policy may vary across different populations, and warrant the need to take into consideration the features of subgroups.
Highlights
Depression, a type of non-communicable disease, has attracted wide attention in both developed and developing countries due to its high prevalence and heavy burden
The findings revealed that: 1) a significant proportion of pregnant women presented depressive symptoms; 2) with respect to pregnant women, the lockdown policy was associated with fewer depressive symptoms in China; 3) on the one hand, the lockdown policy was associated with increased Internet use, which was positively related to depressive symptoms; on the other hand, the policy was associated with increased family support, which was related to fewer depressive symptoms
By comparing Internet use behaviors, perceived family support, and depressive symptoms between participants affected and less affected by the lockdown policy, the present study explored the mechanism of the relationship between the lockdown policy and maternal depression in China
Summary
Depression, a type of non-communicable disease, has attracted wide attention in both developed and developing countries due to its high prevalence and heavy burden. At a prevalence rate of over 10% [4, 5], pregnant women are at a significantly higher risk for depression than the general population [2]. Maternal depression has been associated with higher risk for chronic illnesses in offspring during adulthood [7, 8]. This calls for special attention to be paid to the psychological health of women during pregnancy. This study aimed to explore the association between the lockdown policy and maternal depressive symptoms, and whether such association was mediated by internet use and/or family support
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