The COVID-19 outbreak increases maternal stress during pregnancy, but not the incidence of postpartum depression

The COVID-19 pandemic affects society and may especially have an impact on mental health of vulnerable groups, such as perinatal women. This prospective cohort study compared perinatal symptoms of depression and stress during and before the pandemic. Pregnancy-specific stress increased significantly in women during the pandemic. We found no increase in depressive symptoms during pregnancy nor an increase in incidence of postnatal depression during the pandemic. Clinicians should be aware of increased stress in pregnant women and offer adequate care.

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The COVID-19 outbreak increases maternal stress during pregnancy, but not the risk for postpartum depression

Archives of Women s Mental Health ◽

10.1007/s00737-021-01104-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Myrthe G. B. M. Boekhorst ◽

Lotte Muskens ◽

Lianne P. Hulsbosch ◽

Katrijn Van Deun ◽

Veerle Bergink ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Postpartum Depression ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Postpartum Depressive Symptoms ◽

Perinatal Women

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic affects society and may especially have an impact on mental health of vulnerable groups, such as perinatal women. This prospective cohort study of 669 participating women in the Netherlands compared perinatal symptoms of depression and stress during and before the pandemic. After a pilot in 2018, recruitment started on 7 January 2019. Up until 1 March 2020 (before the pandemic), 401 women completed questionnaires during pregnancy, of whom 250 also completed postpartum assessment. During the pandemic, 268 women filled out at least one questionnaire during pregnancy and 59 postpartum (1 March–14 May 2020). Pregnancy-specific stress increased significantly in women during the pandemic. We found no increase in depressive symptoms during pregnancy nor an increase in incidence of high levels of postpartum depressive symptoms during the pandemic. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for increased stress in pregnant women during the pandemic.

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Could listening to music during pregnancy be protective against postnatal depression and poor wellbeing post birth? Longitudinal associations from a preliminary prospective cohort study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021251 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. e021251 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Daisy Fancourt ◽

Rosie Perkins

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Prospective Cohort Study ◽

Postnatal Depression ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Confounding Variables ◽

Mental Well Being

ObjectivesThis study explored whether listening to music during pregnancy is longitudinally associated with lower symptoms of postnatal depression and higher well-being in mothers post birth.DesignProspective cohort study.ParticipantsWe analysed data from 395 new mothers aged over 18 who provided data in the third trimester of pregnancy and 3 and 6 months later (0–3 and 4–6 months post birth).Primary and secondary outcome measuresPostnatal depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and well-being was measured using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Our exposure was listening to music and was categorised as ‘rarely; a couple of times a week; every day <1 hour; every day 1–2 hours; every day 3–5 hours; every day 5+hrs’. Multivariable linear regression analyses were carried out to explore the effects of listening to music during pregnancy on depression and well-being post birth, adjusted for baseline mental health and potential confounding variables.ResultsListening during pregnancy is associated with higher levels of well-being (β=0.40, SE=0.15, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.70) and reduced symptoms of postnatal depression (β=−0.39, SE=0.19, 95% CI −0.76 to −0.03) in the first 3 months post birth. However, effects disappear by 4–6 months post birth. These results appear to be particularly found among women with lower levels of well-being and high levels of depression at baseline.ConclusionsListening to music could be recommended as a way of supporting mental health and well-being in pregnant women, in particular those who demonstrate low well-being or symptoms of postnatal depression.

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Predictive accuracy of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale assessment during pregnancy for the risk of developing postpartum depressive symptoms: a prospective cohort study

BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology ◽

10.1111/1471-0528.12759 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 121 (13) ◽

pp. 1604-1610 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

JL Meijer ◽

C Beijers ◽

MG van Pampus ◽

T Verbeek ◽

RP Stolk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Prospective Cohort Study ◽

Postnatal Depression ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ◽

Predictive Accuracy ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Postpartum Depressive Symptoms ◽

Scale Assessment

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Course, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Depressive Symptomatology in Workers following a Workplace Injury: A Prospective Cohort Study

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/070674370905400806 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 54 (8) ◽

pp. 534-546 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Renée-Louise Franche ◽

Nancy Carnide ◽

Sheilah Hogg-Johnson ◽

Pierre Côté ◽

F Curtis Breslin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Depressive Symptom ◽

Prospective Cohort Study ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Workplace Injury ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Depression Diagnosis

Objectives: To estimate prevalence, incidence, and course of depressive symptoms and prevalence of mental health treatment following a workplace injury, and to estimate the association between depressive symptoms and return-to-work (RTW) trajectories. Method: In a prospective cohort study, workers filing a lost-time compensation claim for a work-related musculoskeletal disorder of the back or upper extremity were interviewed 1 month ( n = 599) and 6 months ( n = 430) postinjury. A high level of depressive symptoms was defined as 16 or more on the self-reported Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression (CES-D) Scale. The following estimates are reported: prevalence of high depressive symptom levels at 1 and 6 months postinjury; incidence, resolution, and persistence of high depressive symptom levels between 1 and 6 months; and prevalence of self-reported mental health treatment and depression diagnosis at 6 months postinjury. Results: Prevalence of high depressive symptom levels at 1 month and 6 months postinjury were 42.9% (95% CI 38.9% to 46.9%) and 26.5% (95% CI 22.3% to 30.7%), respectively. Among participants reporting high depressive symptom levels at 1 month postinjury, 47.2% (95% CI 39.9% to 54.5%) experienced a persistence of symptoms 6 months postinjury. By 6 months, 38.6% of workers who never returned to work or had work disability recurrences had high depressive symptom levels, compared with 17.7% of those with a sustained RTW trajectory. At 6–month follow-up, 12.9% (95% CI 5.8% to 20.1%) of participants with persistently high depressive symptom levels self-reported a depression diagnosis since injury and 23.8% (95% CI 14.7% to 32.9%) were receiving depression treatment. Conclusions: Depressive symptoms are pervasive in workers with musculoskeletal injuries, but transient for some, and seldom diagnosed as depression or treated.

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