scholarly journals Elevated Perinatal Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Study among Jewish and Arab Women in Israel

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 349
Author(s):  
Samira Alfayumi-Zeadna ◽  
Rena Bina ◽  
Drorit Levy ◽  
Rachel Merzbach ◽  
Atif Zeadna

This study assessed prevalence of perinatal depression symptoms (PNDS) during the COVID-19 pandemic among Arab and Jewish women in Israel and identified COVID-19-related risk factors for PNDS, while comparing Arab and Jewish women. Sample included 730 perinatal women (604 Jewish and 126 Arab) aged 19–45 years, who filled out an online self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed several areas: perinatal experiences and exposure to COVID-19, social support, and financial and emotional impact. PNDS was measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Prevalence of PNDS (EPDS ≥ 10) in the entire study population was 40.0%. Prevalence among Arab women was significantly higher compared to Jewish women (58% vs. 36%, PV < 0.001). Higher PNDS were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms (GAD ≥ 10) (PV < 0.001), stress related to COVID-19 (PV < 0.001), adverse change in delivery of healthcare services (PV = 0.025), and unemployment (PV = 0.002). PNDS has elevated more than twofold during COVID-19 in Israel. Such high rates of PNDS may potentially negatively impact women, and fetal and child health development. This situation requires special attention from public health services and policy makers to provide support and mitigation strategies for pregnant and postpartum women in times of health crises.

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Kourti ◽  
Efstathia Christofilou ◽  
George Kallergis

<p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study investigated symptoms of anxiety and depression in relatives of patients admitted in the Intensive Care Unit and determined whether these symptoms were associated to the seriousness of the patients’ condition.</p><p><strong>Metodology:</strong> A total of 102 patients’ relatives were surveyed<br />during the study. They were given a self-report questionnaire in order to assess demographic data, anxiety and depression symptoms. The symptoms of anxiety and depression were evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (hads). Patient’s condition was evaluated with a.p.a.ch.e ii Score.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> More than 60% of patients’ relatives presented severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. No relation was found between symptoms of anxiety and depression of the relatives of patients and patients’ condition of health. On the<br />contrary, these feelings used to exist regardless of the seriousness of patient’s condition.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The assessment of these patients is recommended in order serious problems of anxiety<br />and depression to be prevented. </p>


2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Poder ◽  
K Ghatavi ◽  
JD Fisk ◽  
TL Campbell ◽  
S Kisely ◽  
...  

Background Little is known about social anxiety in MS. Objective We estimated the prevalence of social anxiety symptoms and their association with demographic and clinical features in a clinic-attending sample of patients with MS. Methods Patients attending the Dalhousie MS Research Unit for regularly scheduled visits completed the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Health Utilities Index (HUI). Neurological disability was determined by ratings on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Results A total of 251 patients completed self-report scales of anxiety and depression symptoms. In all, 245 (98%) provided sufficient data for analysis. In all, 30.6% ( n = 75) had clinically significant social anxiety symptoms as defined by a SPIN threshold score of 19. Half of those with social anxiety had general anxiety (HADSA ≥ 11) and a quarter had depression (HADSD ≥ 11). Severity of social anxiety symptoms was associated with reduced health-related quality of life and not related to neurological disability. Conclusions Social anxiety symptoms are common in persons with MS, contribute to overall morbidity, but are unrelated to the overall severity of neurologic disability. Greater awareness and routine systematic inquiry of social anxiety symptoms is an important component of comprehensive care for persons with MS.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yilin Huang ◽  
Yan Liu ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Danping Liu

Abstract Background: Perinatal depression is the most common complication of gestation and childbearing affecting women and their families, and good social support and family function are considered the protective and modifiable factors. This study aimed to investigate the depression status and explore inter-relationships between social support and perinatal depression considering the influence of family function in rural areas of Southwest China.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The following instruments were used: the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, the APGAR Family Care Index Scale, and the Social Support Rate Scale. A structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesis relationships among the variables. Results: A total of 490 rural antenatal (N=249) and postpartum(N=241) women (age: 28.17± 5.12) participated. We found that the prevalence of depression symptoms was 10.4%. Path analysis showed that family function had a direct negative correlation with depression (β =-0.251, 95%CI: -0.382 to -0.118). Social support had a direct positive correlation with family function (β =0.293, 95%CI: 0.147 to 0.434) and had an indirect negative correlation with depression (β =-0.074, 95%CI: -0.139 to -0.032), family function fully mediated the relationship between social support and depression. Conclusions: Findings of this study highlight that family function should be considered as the key target for interventions aiming to lower the prevalence of perinatal depression. Family members interventions are critical to reduce depression among antenatal and postpartum women.


Author(s):  
Viktorija Perepjolkina ◽  
Jeļena Koļesņikova ◽  
Kristīne Mārtinsone ◽  
Ainārs Stepens ◽  
Elmārs Rancāns

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the criterion validity and to estimate the cut-off score of the Depression scale (DS) and short Depression scale (DSs) for a new self-report measure – Latvian Clinical Personality Inventory (LCPI). Usefulness of DS and DSs for identifying patients with major depression were analysed based on psychometric analysis of data acquired from psychiatric inpatient sample with depressive disorder (n = 37) in comparison to randomised stratified community subsample (n = 176) selected from the overall test development sample (N = 888). The present study was carried within the framework of the National Research Program (BIOMEDICINE) 2014 – 2017 (sub-project Nr.5.8.2.). It was shown that all 24 item of DS show good to excellent discrimination power. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.97 for DS and 0.95 for DSs in test development sample. For DS, the optimal cut-off score was 26 points (sensitivity 95%, specificity 91%, and positive predicted value of 69%). For DSs, the optimal cut-off was 12 points (sensitivity 92%, specificity 89%, and positive predicted value 63%). DS and DSs of LCPI is proved to have good criterion validity in detecting depression and to be a reliable and valid instrument for assessment of depression symptoms in patients with depression and in general population. Subjects scoring at least 26 on DS or 12 points on DSs constitute a target group for further diagnostic assessment in order to determine appropriate treatment.


2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lan Hong ◽  
Tao Le ◽  
Yinping Lu ◽  
Xiang Shi ◽  
Ludan Xiang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Current research on perinatal depression rarely pays attention to the continuity and volatility of depression symptoms over time, which is very important for the early prediction and prognostic evaluation of perinatal depression. This study investigated the trajectories of perinatal depression symptoms and aimed to explore the factors related to these trajectories. Methods The study recruited 550 women during late pregnancy (32 ± 4 weeks of gestation) and followed them up 1 and 6 weeks postpartum. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Latent growth mixture modelling (LGMM) was used to identify trajectories of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Results Two trajectories of perinatal depressive symptoms were identified: “decreasing” (n = 524, 95.3%) and “increasing” (n = 26, 4.7%). History of smoking, alcohol use and gestational hypertension increased the chance of belonging to the increasing trajectories, and a high level of social support was a protective factor for maintaining a decreasing trajectory. Conclusions This study identified two trajectories of perinatal depression and the factors associated with each trajectory. Paying attention to these factors and providing necessary psychological support services during pregnancy would effectively reduce the incidence of perinatal depression and improve patient prognosis.


SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A121-A122
Author(s):  
S T Nguyen-Rodriguez ◽  
O M Buxton

Abstract Introduction Chronotype refers to a preference for morning hours (morningness) vs. evening hours (eveningness) when individuals tend to feel their best (e.g., higher energy levels). People may be classified at either end of this spectrum or along a continuum between these preferences. Among adolescents, eveningness is positively related to depression and anxiety, whereas morningness is negatively related to depression. However, less is known about the relationship of chronotype and psychological health in pre-teens and Latinx youth. The present study explored associations of morningness/eveningness with anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress among Latinx pre-adolescents in Southern California. Methods A purposive sample of 100 Latinx children, ages 10-12 years old, completed self-report surveys in their homes or a preferred location chosen by the parent. Measures included the Morningness/Eveningness Scale for Children (higher scores indicate morning preference), Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale (higher scores indicate higher anxiety, depression and stress, respectively). Associations were tested with Pearson correlations. Results The sample was 47% male with a mean±SD age of 10.9±0.8 years. Average score for morningness/eveningness was M=30.2±4.4 (range: 18-41), for anxiety symptoms was M=0.7±0.7 (range: 0-2.8), for depression symptoms was M=0.5±0.4 (range: 0-1.9) and for perceived stress was M=15.2±5.8 (range: 2-30). Greater morningness/eveningness scores, indicating more morningness, were associated with lower scores for anxiety symptoms (r=-.41, p&lt;.001), depressive symptoms (r=-.36, p&lt;.001) and perceived stress (r=-.33, p=.001). Conclusion As has been found for adolescents, higher morningness in Latinx pre-teens was related to less frequent anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as lower perceived stress. Youth experience a circadian phase delay during adolescence, shifting their preference toward eveningness, which may exacerbate stressors and negative mental health. Therefore, interventions to promote psychological well-being in pre-adolescents may help prevent worse psychological outcomes in Latinx children as they transition to adolescence. Support This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers UL1GM118979, TL4GM118980, and RL5GM118978.


1998 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 915-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie H. Barlow ◽  
Chris C. Wright

The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure and to conduct an item analysis of the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale (CES–D) among people with arthritis from the UK. This 20-item self-report scale was designed by Radloff in 1977 to measure depressive symptomatology in the general population. Data were drawn from a national study and collected through self-administered questionnaires mailed to participants, each of whom had a confirmed diagnosis of arthritis. Reliability and structure of the scale were examined using standard item analysis, internal consistency (Cronbach alpha), and principal components analysis. A four-dimensional structure was identified: Self-worth, Depressed Affect, Positive Affect, and Somatic Disturbance; three items loaded on two factors and were excluded from consideration. Comparisons with previous studies indicated some differences in the subscales and showed that, in this sample, two subscales might be artifacts of measurement. In samples of people with arthritis from the UK, use of the total score may not reflect accurate depressive symptomatology and the subscale scores should be used with caution.


2019 ◽  
Vol 214 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cox

SummaryThe Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was published over 30 years ago as a ten-item self-report questionnaire to facilitate the detection of perinatal depression – and for use in research. It is widely used at the present time in many regions of the world and has been translated into over 60 languages. It is occasionally misused. In this editorial, updated recommendations for optimal use in primary and secondary care as well as research are provided. Future studies to evaluate its use and validity in naturalistic community populations are now required, and to determine the psychometric properties and practical usefulness of the EPDS when completed online.Declaration of interestJ.C. has no financial interest in the use of, or reproduction of, the EPDS.


2021 ◽  
pp. JCO.20.01802
Author(s):  
Jane McCusker ◽  
Jennifer M. Jones ◽  
Madeline Li ◽  
Rosana Faria ◽  
Mark J. Yaffe ◽  
...  

PURPOSE Depression in post-treatment cancer survivors is common and can impair quality of life. CanDirect is a novel, telephone-delivered depression self-care intervention for cancer survivors. We conducted a randomized controlled superiority trial to compare CanDirect with usual care (UC) in this population. METHODS Participants completing cancer treatment within the past 10 years who had mild-moderate depressive symptoms with or without major depression were recruited from clinical and community settings in Quebec and Ontario. Permuted block random assignment allocated participants to CanDirect plus UC or to UC alone. Assessments of depression severity (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale [CES-D]; primary outcome) and secondary outcomes health-related quality of life (Short Form Survey-12 mental and physical component summaries), anxiety symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), activation (Patient Activation Measure), depression diagnosis (Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV), and health services (self-report) were conducted at baseline, as well as 3 and 6 months (primary time point). Analyses of outcomes were adjusted for covariates using linear regression and missing data by inverse probability weighting. RESULTS Participants recruited between September 2016 and October 2018 were randomly assigned to CanDirect (n = 121) or UC (n = 124). Among 245 participants randomly assigned, 218 (89.0%) completed the primary outcome at 6 months. CanDirect participants reported less severe depressive symptoms on the CES-D than UC participants at 6 months, adjusted effect size (ES) 0.61 (95% CI, 0.33 to 0.88). CanDirect participants also had significantly greater quality of life, lower anxiety, more activation, and lower rates of depression diagnoses, compared with UC. Exploratory analysis suggested that sex was a modifier of the primary outcome (interaction term P value = .03); the intervention was less effective in men (ES, 0.12; 95% CI, −0.45 to 0.69). CONCLUSION The findings suggest that CanDirect is an effective method of managing mild-moderate depression symptoms in cancer survivors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yilin Huang ◽  
Yan Liu ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Danping Liu

Abstract Background Perinatal depression is the most common complication of gestation and childbearing affecting women and their families, and good social support and family function are considered protective and modifiable factors. This study aimed to investigate depression status and explore inter-relationships between social support and perinatal depression considering the influence of family function in rural areas of Southwest China. Methods This is a cross-sectional study. The following instruments were used: the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, the APGAR Family Care Index Scale, and the Social Support Rate Scale. A structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesis relationships among the variables. Results A total of 490 rural antenatal (N = 249) and postpartum (N = 241) women (mean age (standard deviation), 28.17 ± 5.12) participated. We found that the prevalence of depression symptoms was 10.4%. Path analysis showed that family function had a direct negative correlation with depression (β = − 0.251, 95%CI: − 0.382 to − 0.118). Social support had a direct positive correlation with family function (β =0.293, 95%CI: 0.147 to 0.434) and had an indirect negative correlation with depression (β = − 0.074, 95%CI: − 0.139 to − 0.032), family function fully mediated the relationship between social support and depression. Conclusions Findings of this study highlight that family function should be considered as the key target for interventions aiming to lower the prevalence of perinatal depression. Family members interventions are critical to reduce depression among antenatal and postpartum women.


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