Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Labor-Related Anxiety and Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in Pregnant Women?

Agnieszka Wikarek; Agnieszka Niemiec; Małgorzata Szymanek; Mateusz Klimek; Justyna Partyka-Lasota; Kamila Dudzik; Tomasz Wikarek; Krzysztof Nowosielski

doi:10.3390/jcm11216522

Lifestyle and Environment Stress and Allostatic Load

Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Labor-Related Anxiety and Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in Pregnant Women?

Wikarek A, Niemiec A, Szymanek M, Klimek M, Partyka-Lasota J, Dudzik K, Wikarek T, Nowosielski K

Published November 3, 2022 Journal of clinical medicine

DOI 10.3390/jcm11216522 PMID 36362750 PMC PMC9656024

RRM Academy Synopsis

Severe anxiety was more common in a Polish cohort during COVID-19

In a questionnaire cohort of 465 women at one Polish hospital, about 5 out of 10 had severe anxiety during the pandemic, against about 3 out of 10 before it. Depressive symptoms were also more common in that group. Low partner support, low self-esteem and high trait anxiety were associated with more anxiety.

Key Findings

The study compared 190 women who gave birth before the pandemic with 275 who gave birth during it, all at one university hospital in Katowice, Poland.
Brief Self-Rating Scale of Depression and Anxiety results showed severe anxiety in 49.6% of women during the pandemic, compared with 32% of women before it.
Depressive symptoms on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were more common during the pandemic (11.6% vs. 6.3%).
Mean HADS anxiety scores were slightly lower during the pandemic (7.32 ± 4.53) than before (7.75 ± 3.28). Labor anxiety questionnaire scores (KLP II) did not differ significantly.
Four regression models, one per anxiety measure, associated higher anxiety with depressive symptoms, trait anxiety, low self-esteem, no earlier epidural and low partner support, each in at least one model.

Interpretation

This cohort study followed 465 women who gave birth at one university hospital in Katowice, Poland, comparing those who delivered before the pandemic with those who delivered during it. Depressive symptoms, trait anxiety, low self-esteem and low partner support were linked with higher anxiety scores. The authors note that their data come from the third pandemic wave and from third-trimester women only. The findings support larger studies of anxiety and depression risk factors around birth.

RRM Context

Restorative reproductive medicine cares for the couple, and that continues through pregnancy. In one of the study's regression models, lower perceived partner support was associated with higher anxiety. The partner belongs in the picture of mental health around birth. The researchers measured partner support and communication directly.

Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly had significant effects on women's health and the course of pregnancy. The aim of this single-center study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult pregnant and postpartum women's mental health, as well as to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms, anxiety and fear of delivery. The 465 women included in this questionnaire-based cohort study were divided into two groups: one (controls) of women who gave birth before (n = 190), and the second who were pregnant and delivered during the pandemic (n = 275). The COVID-19 pandemic affected the severity of self-reported anxiety regarding childbirth (mean scores 2.7 vs. 2.36, p = 0.01). The depression (19.84 ± 13.23) and anxiety (16.71 ± 12.53) scores were higher in pregnant women during the COVID 19 pandemic, compared to women who gave birth before the pandemic (8.21 ± 7.38 and 11.67 ± 9.23, respectively). These findings demonstrate the magnitude of the pandemic's impact on women's mental health, and actions to improve the mental health of pregnant women in Poland may be crucial for maternal and fetal well-being.

Topics

Lifestyle and Environment › Stress and Allostatic Load › Stress and Ovulation · Postpartum › Mental Health › Depression Screening

Agnieszka Wikarek, Agnieszka Niemiec, Małgorzata Szymanek, Mateusz Klimek, Justyna Partyka-Lasota, Kamila Dudzik, Tomasz Wikarek, Krzysztof Nowosielski

A Wikarek, A Niemiec, M Szymanek, M Klimek, J Partyka-Lasota, K Dudzik, T Wikarek, K Nowosielski

PMID 36362750 36362750 DOI 10.3390/jcm11216522 10.3390/jcm11216522 Wikarek et al. 2022, Wikarek 2022

Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Labor-Related Anxiety and Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in Pregnant Women?

Severe anxiety was more common in a Polish cohort during COVID-19

Key Findings

Interpretation

RRM Context

Abstract

Topics

By this author

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