Negative affectivity in new mothers during the COVID-19 lockdown
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15178479Keywords:
Pregnant Women, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Psychological, COVID-19Abstract
Background: Confinement due to health emergencies such as the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) creates additional challenges for pregnant women (PW), negatively influencing their mental health.
Objective: To evaluate the presence of symptoms suggestive of depression (SSD), anxiety (SSA), and stress (SSS) and associated factors in PW during confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Material and methods: Analytical and prolific prevalence study carried out in hospitalized primigravidae PW, aged 14 to 41 years. Clinical, psychosocial, and sociodemographic data from the PM and medical records were collected, and the DASS-21 questionnaire was administered. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test, odds ratio (OR), and logistic regression were used.
Results: 232 PW with a median age of 23 years (20-27) were included. The incidence of SSD was 37.07%, SSA 45.69%, SSS 35.78%. Risk factors for SSD were not having a partner: OR 2.12 (95% CI 1.15-3.93), p = 0.01, and having low socioeconomic status 3.06 (95% CI 1.70-5.49), p = 0.0001. In SSA, unemployment was 1.76 (1.04-2.96), p = 0.03. And for SES, basic education showed 0.49 (95% CI 0.28-0.88), p = 0.01, low socioeconomic status 1.80 (95% CI 1.01-3.22), p = 0.04, and comorbidities 2.15 (95% CI 1.04-4.44), p = 0.03.
Conclusion: During the COVID-19 lockdown, the frequency of SSD, SSA and SSS in primigravidae PW was high, and associated factors were not having a partner, low socioeconomic status, unemployment, and comorbidities.
Downloads
References
World Health Organization. Maternal mental health. Geneva: WHO; [sin fecha de publicación]. https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/promotion-prevention/maternal-mental-health
Glazer KB, Howell EA. A way forward in the maternal mortality crisis: addressing maternal health disparities and mental health. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2021;24(5):823-30. doi: 10.1007/s00737-021-01161-0
Yin X, Sun N, Jiang N, et al. Prevalence and associated factors of antenatal depression: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Clin Psychol Rev. 2021;83:101932. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101932
Nielsen-Scott M, Fellmeth G, Opondo C, et al. Prevalence of perinatal anxiety in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2022;1;306:71-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.032
Saur AM, Dos Santos MA. Risk factors associated with stress symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum: integrative literature review. Women Health. 2021;61(7):651-67. doi: 10.1080/03630242.2021.1954132
Galea S, Merchant RM, Lurie N. The mental health consequences of COVID-19 and physical distancing: the need for prevention and early intervention. JAMA Intern Med. 2020;1(180):817-8. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.1562
Kotlar B, Gerson EM, Petrillo S, et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and perinatal health: a scoping review. Reprod Health. 2021;18(1):10. doi: 10.1186/s12978-021-01070-6
Watson D, Clark LA. Negative affectivity: The disposition to experience aversive emotional states. Psychological Bulletin. 1984;96(3):465-90. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.96.3.465
Sultson H, Murd C, Havik M, et al. Negative affect instability predicts elevated depressive and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms even when negative affect intensity is controlled for: an ecological momentary assessment study. Front Psychol. 2024;15:1371115. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1371115
Slomian J, Honvo G, Emonts P, et al. Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes. Womens Health (Lond). 2019;15:1745506519844044. doi: 10.1177/1745506519844044
Śliwerski A, Kossakowska K, Jarecka K, et al. The Effect of Maternal Depression on Infant Attachment: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2675. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17082675
Stuebe A. Should Infants Be Separated from Mothers with COVID-19? First, Do No Harm. Breastfeed Med. 2020;15(5):351-2. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2020.29153.ams
Wu Y, Lu YC, Jacobs M, et al. Association of Prenatal Maternal Psychological Distress With Fetal Brain Growth, Metabolism, and Cortical Maturation. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(1):e1919940. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.19940
Lovibond SH, Lovibond PF. Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Sydney: Psychology Foundation of Australia; 1995.
Morales D, Martínez V, Reyna M. Depresión, ansiedad y estrés en usuarios de atención primaria durante el confinamiento por coronavirus. Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2021;59(5):387-94.
Effati-Daryani F, Zarei S, Mohammadi A, et al. Depression, stress, anxiety and their predictors in Iranian pregnant women during the outbreak of COVID-19. BMC Psychol. 2020;8(1):99. doi: 10.1186/s40359-020-00464-8
Eldeirawi KM, Persky VW, Zielke C, et al. Economic, Psychological, and Emotional Well-Being of Pregnant Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2024. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.13659
Taylor BL, Howard LM, Jackson K, et al. Mums Alone: Exploring the Role of Isolation and Loneliness in the Narratives of Women Diagnosed with Perinatal Depression. J Clin Med. 2021;10(11):2271. doi: 10.3390/jcm10112271
Moyer CA, Compton SD, Kaselitz E, et al. Pregnancy-related anxiety during COVID-19: a nationwide survey of 2740 pregnant women. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2020;23(6):757-65. doi: 10.1007/s00737-020-01073-5
Yang H, Pan Y, Chen W, et al. Prevalence of and relevant factors for depression and anxiety symptoms among pregnant women on the eastern seaboard of China in the post-COVID-19 era: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry. 2023;23(1):564. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05059-2
Mei H, Li N, Li J, et al. Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in pregnant women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Psychosom Res. 2021;149:110586. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110586
Soto C, González M, Elías M. Encuesta nacional sobre violencia doméstica e intrafamiliar. Primera ed. Paraguay: Centro de Documentación y Estudios; 2003. pp. 1-153. Disponible en: http://bibliotecavirtual.clacso.org.ar/Paraguay/cde/20121022024836/encuesta.pdf
Cabrales F, Hidalgo R, Sosa G, et al. Factores determinantes de violencia doméstica en mujeres de Guanajuato. Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2023;61:S141-7.
Navarrete L, Nieto L, Lara MA. Intimate partner violence and perinatal depression and anxiety: Social support as moderator among Mexican women. Sex Reprod Healthc. 2021;27:100569. doi: 10.1016/j.srhc.2020.100569
Usher K, Bhullar N, Durkin J, et al. Family violence and COVID-19: Increased vulnerability and reduced options for support. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2020;29(4):549-52. doi: 10.1111/inm.12735
Preis H, Mahaffey B, Heiselman C, et al. Vulnerability and resilience to pandemic-related stress among U.S. women pregnant at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social Science & Medicine. 2020;266:113348. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113348
Liu H, Chen S, Liu M, et al. Comorbid Chronic Diseases are Strongly Correlated with Disease Severity among COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Aging and disease. 2020;11(3):668-78. doi: 10.14336/AD.2020.0502
Liu C, Erdei C, Mittal L. Risk factors for depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in perinatal women during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Psychiatry Res. 2021;295:113552. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113552
Jeong W, Kim B, Hong SH, et al. Factors associated with COVID-19 infection in pregnant women: Focusing on maternal anxiety. PLoS One. 2024;19(10):e0312300. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312300
López-Morales H, Del Valle MV, Canet-Juric L, et al. Mental health of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study. Psychiatry Res. 2021;295:113567. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113567
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Revista Médica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors retain their copyright and grant the Revista Médica del IMSS the right of first publication. Articles are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which allows sharing as long as the author and the original source are properly credited.
