scholarly journals 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

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Laura Filippetti ◽  
Alasdair D F Clarke ◽  
Silvia Rigato
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Antenatal Attachment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Unborn Baby ◽  
Prenatal Mental Health

BackgroundExperiences of prenatal trauma exacerbates vulnerability to negative health outcomes for pregnant women and their infants. We aimed to examine the role of: 1) anxiety, depression, and stress related to COVID-19 in predicting the quality of antenatal attachment; 2) perceived social support and COVID-19 appraisal in predicting maternal anxiety and depression.MethodsA sample of 150 UK expectant women were surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Questions included demographics, pregnancy details, and COVID-19 appraisal. Validated measures were used to collect self-reported maternal antenatal attachment (MAAS), symptoms of anxiety (STAI), depression (BDI-II), and stress related to the psychological impact of COVID-19 (IES-r). ResultsWe found that the pandemic has affected UK expectant mothers’ mental health by increasing prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress. Women for whom COVID-19 had a higher psychological impact were more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms. High depressive symptoms were associated with reduced attachment to the unborn baby. Whilst women who appraised the impact of COVID-19 to be more negative showed higher levels of anxiety, higher social support acted as a protective factor and was associated with lower anxiety.LimitationsThe cross-sectional nature of the study hinders conclusions about causality. Future research should include paternal prenatal mental health. ConclusionsDirect experience of prenatal trauma, such as the one experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly amplifies mothers’ vulnerability to mental health symptoms and impairs the formation of a positive relationship with their unborn baby. Health services should prioritise interventions strategies aimed at fostering support for pregnant women.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 on mental health outcomes among hospital fever clinic attendants across Nepal: A cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248684
Author(s):  
Hridaya Raj Devkota ◽  
Tula Ram Sijali ◽  
Ramji Bogati ◽  
Meraj Ahmad ◽  
Karuna Laxmi Shakya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Programs ◽  
The Impact

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been creating a panic and distressing situations among the entire population globally including Nepal. No study has been conducted assessing the psychological impact of this pandemic on the general public in Nepal. The objective of this study is to assess the mental health status during COVID-19 outbreak and explore the potential influencing factors among the population attending the hospital fever clinics with COVID–19 symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May—June, 2020 with a sample of 645 participants aged 18 and above in 26 hospitals across Nepal. Telephone interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire along with a validated psychometric tool, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-21) scale. The metrics and scores of symptoms and their severity were created and analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association of potential covariates with outcome variables. Results The prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress were 14%, 7% and 5% respectively. In reference to Karnali, participants from Bagmati province reported higher level of anxiety (OR 3.44, 95% CI 1.31–9.06), while stress (OR 4.27, 95% CI 1.09–18.32) and depressive symptoms (OR 3.11, 95% CI 1.05–9.23) observed higher among the participants in Province 1. Women were more at risk of anxiety (OR 3.41, 95% CI 1.83–6.36) than men. Similarly, people currently living in rented houses reported more stress (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.05–8.43) and those living far from family reported higher rates of depressive symptoms (OR 3.44, 95% CI 1.03–11.46). Conclusion The study identified increased prevalence of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms during the initial stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Considering the findings, there is urgent need to develop and implement appropriate community-based mental health programs targeting individuals who have had COVID-19 symptoms and who are prone to develop adverse mental health outcomes.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on mental health and quality of life: Is there any effect? A cross-sectional study of the MENA region

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0249107
Author(s):  
Ayesha S. Al Dhaheri ◽  
Mo’ath F. Bataineh ◽  
Maysm N. Mohamad ◽  
Abir Ajab ◽  
Amina Al Marzouqi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Family Support ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of millions globally. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the pandemic on mental health and quality of life among the general population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A total of 6142 adults from eighteen countries within the MENA region completed an online questionnaire between May and June 2020. Psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the social and family support impact was assessed with questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). The IES-R mean score was 29.3 (SD = 14.8), corresponding to mild stressful impact with 30.9% reporting severe psychological impact. Most participants (45%–62%) felt horrified, apprehensive, or helpless due to COVID-19. Furthermore, over 40% reported increased stress from work and financial matters. Higher IES-R scores were found among females, participants aged 26–35 years, those with lower educational level, and participants residing in the North Africa region (p<0.005). About 42% reported receiving increased support from family members, 40.5% were paying more attention to their mental health, and over 40% reported spending more time resting since the pandemic started. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mild psychological impact while it also encouraged some positive impact on family support and mental health awareness among adults in the MENA region. Clinical interventions targeted towards vulnerable groups such as females and younger adults are needed.

scholarly journals The Acute Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Mental Health in Southwestern Ontario

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Mactavish ◽  
Carli Mastronardi ◽  
Rosanne Menna ◽  
Kimberley A. Babb ◽  
Marco Battaglia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children’S Mental Health ◽  
Children's Mental Health ◽  
Children And Parents ◽  
The Impact

Objective: COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis. Research is critically needed to identify the acute and long-term impacts of the pandemic to children’s mental health including psychosocial factors that predict resilience, recovery, and persistent long-term distress. The present study collected data in June-July 2020 to enumerate the acute impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health, including the magnitude and nature of psychiatric and psychological distress in children, and to evaluate social support as a putative psychosocial correlate of children’s distress.Method: 190 families of children aged 8 to 13 from the Windsor-Essex region of Southwestern Ontario reported on the impact of the pandemic on children’s well-being (e.g., worry, happiness); irritability; social support; and symptoms of anxiety, depressive, and posttraumatic stress disorder at baseline assessment of an ongoing longitudinal study of the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: Children and parents reported worsened well-being and psychological distress during the pandemic compared to retrospective report of pre-pandemic well-being. Children and parents also reported higher depressive and anxiety symptoms, but fewer PTSD symptoms, compared to epidemiological samples that used the same measures prior to the pandemic. Finally, child-perceived social support from family and friends was associated with lower symptom severity.Conclusions: Study findings indicate broad psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and are consistent with prior research that indicates a protective role of social support to mitigate the negative psychological impact of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Psychological responses and lifestyle changes among pregnant women with respect to the early stages of COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402095211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingfei Zhang ◽  
Zheng Feei Ma
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a profound impact on health and well-being of populations. However, there are limited studies that have investigated the psychological aspects of vulnerable groups including pregnant women amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we aimed to assess the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among Chinese pregnant women from February 2020 until March 2020. Methods: Our study was conducted using a modified validated online questionnaire comprising of sociodemographic, the Impact of Event Scale (IES), attitude and mental health-related questions towards COVID-19. Results: A total of 560 women were included. The overall mean age and IES of women was 25.8 ± 2.7 years and 31.4 ± 13.7. Moreover, 67.1% of them had IES ⩾26. Psychological impact seemed to be more severe in women in second trimester of pregnancy (the highest IES) ( p = .016). There was a significant association between trimesters of pregnancy and some indicators of negative health impacts (including increased stress from work, increased stress from home, feeling apprehensive and helpless during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic) (all p < .05). Conclusions: Our results reported moderate-to-severe stressful impact among Chinese pregnant women. We recommend that appropriate measures should be taken to address the maternal mental health issues.

scholarly journals Mental health problems and correlates among 746 217 college students during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Ma ◽  
J. Zhao ◽  
Y. Li ◽  
D. Chen ◽  
T. Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
College Students ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Senior Year ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Aims Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a major public health concern all over the world. Little is known about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population. This study aimed to assess the mental health problems and associated factors among a large sample of college students during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Methods This cross-sectional and nation-wide survey of college students was conducted in China from 3 to 10 February 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess psychosocial factors, COVID-19 epidemic related factors and mental health problems. Acute stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by the Chinese versions of the impact of event scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, respectively. Univariate and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors associated with mental health problems. Results Among 821 218 students who participated in the survey, 746 217 (90.9%) were included for the analysis. In total, 414 604 (55.6%) of the students were female. About 45% of the participants had mental health problems. The prevalence rates of probable acute stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms were 34.9%, 21.1% and 11.0%, respectively. COVID-19 epidemic factors that were associated with increased risk of mental health problems were having relatives or friends being infected (adjusted odds ratio = 1.72–2.33). Students with exposure to media coverage of the COVID-19 ≥3 h/day were 2.13 times more likely than students with media exposure <1 h/day to have acute stress symptoms. Individuals with low perceived social support were 4.84–5.98 times more likely than individuals with high perceived social support to have anxiety and depressive symptoms. In addition, senior year and prior mental health problems were also significantly associated with anxiety or/and depressive symptoms. Conclusions In this large-scale survey of college students in China, acute stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms are prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple epidemic and psychosocial factors, such as family members being infected, massive media exposure, low social support, senior year and prior mental health problems were associated with increased risk of mental health problems. Psychosocial support and mental health services should be provided to those students at risk.

scholarly journals Social Support and Suicide Risk Among Chinese University Students: A Mental Health Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyun Chu ◽  
Yanjie Yang ◽  
Jiawei Zhou ◽  
Wenbo Wang ◽  
Xiaohui Qiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
World Health ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Chinese University Students ◽  
The Impact

Background: World Health Organization recognizes suicide as a public health priority. This study aimed to investigate the risk life events which led university students to consider suicide and explore the protective mechanism of social support (including subjective support, objective support, and support utilization) on suicide risk.Methods: Three thousand nine hundred and seventy-two university students were recruited in Harbin, China. Social Support Rating Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the 25-item scale of suicide acceptability were used to collect participants' information. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and mediation analysis were employed for statistical analysis.Results: “Drug addict,” “infected with HIV,” and “incurable illness” were the top three events that led university students to consider suicide. Social support played an important protective role against suicide risk. Subjective support and support utilization had total effects on suicide acceptability, including direct and indirect effects. Anxiety (indirect effect = −0.022, 95% CI = −0.037 ~ −0.009) and depressive symptoms (indirect effect = −0.197, 95% CI = −0.228 ~ −0.163) mediated the relationship between subjective support and suicide acceptability; meanwhile, the association between support utilization and suicide acceptability was mediated by anxiety (indirect effect = −0.054, 95% CI = −0.088 ~ −0.024) and depressive symptoms (indirect effect = −0.486, 95% CI = −0.558 ~ −0.422). However, the protective impact of objective support worked totally through decreasing anxiety (indirect effect = −0.018, 95% CI = −0.035 ~ −0.006) and depressive symptoms (indirect effect = −0.196, 95% CI = −0.246 ~ −0.143). Moreover, the mediation effects of depressive symptoms had stronger power than anxiety in the impact of social support on suicide risk.Conclusions: Among Chinese university students, suicide acceptability was elevated when there was a health scare. Social support effectively reduced suicide risk via decreasing anxiety and depressive symptoms. From the mental health perspective, families, peers, teachers, and communities should work together to establish a better social support system for university students, if necessary, help them to seek professional psychological services.

scholarly journals Associations of exercise and social support with mental health during quarantine and social-distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey in Germany

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonie Louisa Bauer ◽  
Britta Seiffer ◽  
Clara Deinhart ◽  
Beatrice Atrott ◽  
Gorden Sudeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
German Population ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Sleeping Disorder

AbstractIntroductionSocial distancing and quarantine measures applied during the COVID-19 pandemic might result in mental health problems. In this cross-sectional study we examined if perceived social support, exercise in minutes per week and change in exercise are protective factors regarding symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleeping disorders.MethodIn April 2020, n = 4271 German adults completed an online survey including mental health questionnaires regarding depression (PHQ-D), anxiety (PHQ-D) and sleep (PSQI), as well as questionnaires related to protective factors such as exercise (BSA-F), physical activity-related health competence (PAHCO) and social support (F-SozU).ResultsComplete case analysis (n = 3700; mean age 33.13 ± 11.73 years, 78.6 % females) resulted in elevated prevalence of depressive disorder (31.4%), panic disorder (5.7%) and other anxiety disorders (7.4%). 58.3% reported symptoms of insomnia. Three separate models of multiple regression were conducted. Perceived social support was associated with lower values of anxiety (beta = −0.10; t(19) = −6.46; p >0.001), lower values of depressive symptoms (beta = −0.22; t(19) = −15.71; p < .001) and lower values of sleeping disorder symptoms (beta = −0.15; t(19) = −9.55; p < .001). Change towards less exercise compared to the time before Covid-19 was associated with and higher values of anxiety (beta = −0.05; t(19) = −2.85; p= .004), higher values of depressive symptoms (beta = −0.08; t(19) = - 5.69; p < .001), and higher values of sleeping disorder symptoms (beta = −0.07; t(19) = −4.54; p < .000). Post-hoc analysis (ANOVAs) revealed that a change towards less exercise was significantly associated with more depressive, anxiety and sleeping disorder symptoms whereas a positive change was not. No significant association was found for exercise in minutes per week for all outcomes.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic seems to have a negative impact on mental health in the German population. Social Support and a stable amount of exercise might attenuate these negative mental health consequences. Ongoing monitoring of the impact of the pandemic on mental health and possible protective factors is needed in order to create a basis for the development of appropriate prevention and intervention measures.

scholarly journals Mental health, coping, and social support among people living with HIV in the Americas: A comparative study between Argentina and the USA during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah L. Jones ◽  
Jamile Ballivian ◽  
Violeta J. Rodriguez ◽  
Claudia Uribe ◽  
Diego Cecchini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Coping With Stress ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic pose significant risk to mental health and may disproportionately affect people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the interaction of social support and resilient coping in predicting depressive symptoms among PLWH.Methods: PLWH residing in Buenos Aires, Argentina and in Miami, Florida (US) were asked to complete an anonymous survey on the impact of COVID-19. Statistical analysis included ordinary least squares regression.Results: A total of 1,554 participants were included. Mean age was 47.30 years; 63.7 % were men. A test of three-way interaction of social support resilient coping study site indicated differences by site (b = -0.63.862, p = .043010, 95% CI [-1.24, -0.02.205, 1.52]). In Argentina, at higher social support and resilient coping, depressive symptoms were lowest. At lower social support and resilient coping, depressive symptoms were highest.Discussion: The impact of COVID-19 on mental health illustrates the need to develop innovative strategies to support resilience and to enhance coping with stress and adversity among PLWH.

scholarly journals Adverse and Benevolent Childhood Experiences Predict Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenalee Doom ◽  
Kathryn Fox
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Current Stress ◽  
Adult Mental Health

Background. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poorer adult mental health, and benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) are associated with better adult mental health. Objective. To test whether ACEs and BCEs predict adult mental health beyond current stress and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants and Setting. We analyzed data from undergraduate and graduate students (N = 502) at an urban private university in the western United States. Methods. An online survey was conducted to assess ACEs and BCEs, current stress and social support, depressive and anxiety symptoms, perceived stress, and loneliness in May 2020. Results. Higher levels of ACEs were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, β = 0.45, p = .002. Higher levels of BCEs were associated with lower depressive symptoms, β = -0.39, p = .03, lower perceived stress, β = -0.26, p = .002, and less loneliness, β = -0.12, p = .04. These associations held while controlling for current stress, social support, and socioeconomic status. Conclusions. Childhood experiences are associated with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. BCEs should be considered an important promotive factor, independent of ACEs, for psychological well-being during a global public health crisis. BCEs should be included along with ACEs in future research and screening with distressed and vulnerable populations.

scholarly journals The Psychological Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Pregnant Women in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Zheng ◽  
Ruoxi Zhang ◽  
Tao Liu ◽  
Pei Cheng ◽  
Yanhong Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Third Trimester ◽  
The Impact

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been reported to have negative psychological impact on mental health. Nonetheless, there are few studies investigating the impacts on pregnant women. This study investigated the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant women, and the associated risk factors that moderated this impact.Methods and Materials: A total of 2,798 pregnant participants were recruited from the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were used to assess depression, generalized anxiety disorder and insomnia, respectively, during and before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to assess psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, over one third of pregnant participants reported mild depression, around 20% experienced mild generalized anxiety, about one third reported problems with sleeping, and more than 15% felt mild psychological stress. The occurrence of psychological problems was significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic when compared to before the outbreak. The previously described pattern that pregnant women in the first trimester are more likely to report depression, and those in the third trimester are more likely to report insomnia and psychological stress, was also recognized in our study population. Mental health issues existing before the outbreak were risk factors, while family support was a protective factor in the occurrence of the measured mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusion: Our data suggest pregnant women's mental health is inevitably affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pregnant women in the first and third trimester and those who experienced mental issues before the outbreak may be particularly affected.

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