Mental Health of COVID-19 Pandemic from Pregnancy to Postpartum Period: A Longitudinal Study


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CENGİZHAN S. Ö., GÜNEY E., Sabancı Baransel E., KARATAŞ OKYAY E., Ucar T.

Online Türk Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.8, sa.3, ss.307-314, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi) identifier

Özet

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of stress levels of prenatally diagnosed or contacted pregnant women on anxiety and depression symptoms in the post- partum period and compare them with those who had a healthy pregnancy period. Materials and Methods: This internet-based longitudinal study was conducted with pregnant women with COVID- 19(+) (n=91), contact with COVID-19(+) (n=74), and healthy pregnant women (n=220). Results: Severe anxiety was found in 51.4% of COVID- 19(+) pregnant women, and depression was found in 28.7%. NuPDQ and BAI mean scores of positive pregnant women were higher than contact and healthy pregnant women. When the EPDS score averages were compared, it was determined that the postpartum period mean scores of those who were positive during pregnancy and were in contact were higher than those of healthy pregnant wom- en. There is a positive correlation between the psychologi- cal effects of pregnant women from COVID-19 and social isolation and NuPDQ (r=0.316, r=0.279), BAI (r=0.337, r=0.293) and EPDS (r=0.333, r=0.311) respectively rela- tionship was determined. Conclusion: Our results point to the need to provide ur- gent psychosocial support in the postpartum period to women who were diagnosed and/or had contact with COVID-19 during pregnancy.