Depression and anxiety spiked in pregnant women during COVID-19
pandemic, research shows

Date:
January 31, 2022
Source:
University of Essex
Summary:
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a spike in depression and anxiety in
expectant mums, a new study has revealed. There was an increase in
reported depression rates of 30 per cent from pre-pandemic levels,
from 17 per cent to 47 per cent -- with anxiety rates also jumping
up 37 per cent in expecting mothers to 60 per cent.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a spike in depression and anxiety in
expectant mums, a new study by the University of Essex has revealed.


==========================================================================
The research found social support protected against anxiety symptoms
associated with the pandemic but highlighted changes to maternity services forced by lockdown and other restrictions likely hit mental health.

It is speculated in the BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth-published paper that
the removal of appointments and other changes to face-to-face contact
may have affected well-being.

The senior author, Dr Silvia Rigato, said it was vital to "protect
maternal wellbeing during pregnancy and beyond" and "to ensure that all children, and their new families, are given the best possible start
in life." The study found there was a spike in reported depression
rates of 30 per cent from pre-pandemic levels, from 17 per cent to 47
per cent -- with anxiety rates also jumping up 37 per cent in expecting
mothers to 60 per cent.

The peer-reviewed study of 150 women took place during the height of
the Coronavirus crisis between April 2020 and January 2021 -- before
the vaccination programme rolled out -- and was led by Dr Maria Laura Filippetti and Dr Rigato, researchers at the Essex Babylab in the
University of Essex.



==========================================================================
The paper showed that prenatal trauma, such as the one experienced during
the COVID-19 pandemic, can significantly amplify vulnerability to mental
health problems.

It also emerged from the study that pregnant women with higher depressive symptoms reported feeling less attached to their unborn babies.

Dr Rigato said: "While this result is in line with previous observations
that women's mood during pregnancy influences the early relationship
with her child, it reinforces the need for authorities to support women throughout their pregnancy and the postnatal period in order to protect
their health and their infants' development." Importantly, the research
also revealed the positive effect that social support plays in protecting expecting mothers' mental health.

The authors found women who considered the impact of COVID-19 to be more negative showed higher levels of anxiety.

Crucially though, help from partners, family and friends, and the NHS
acted as a protective factor and was associated with fewer negative
symptoms.

Dr Filippetti said more must be done to help women during this vulnerable
time in their lives.

She said: "The high rates of depression and anxiety during the pandemic highlighted by our study suggest that expectant women are facing a mental health crisis that can significantly interfere and impair mother-infant
bonding during pregnancy, and can potentially impact on childbirth
outcome, as well as later infant and child development." It is now
hoped the research will be used to help understand how the pandemic
affected children's development, mum's mental health post-partum and
how dads coped through pregnancy and beyond.? special promotion Get a
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7 things we always get wrong about diet and exercise. Claim_yours_now_>>> ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Essex. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Maria Laura Filippetti, Alasdair D. F. Clarke, Silvia Rigato. The
mental
health crisis of expectant women in the UK: effects of the COVID-19
pandemic on prenatal mental health, antenatal attachment and
social support. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2022; 22 (1) DOI:
10.1186/s12884- 022-04387-7 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220131110457.htm

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