Fuente-Moreno, Marina , Garcia-Terol, Clara , DOMÍNGUEZ SALAS, SARA, Rubio-Valera, Maria , MOTRICO MARTINEZ, EMMA
No
J Reprod Infant Psychol
Article
Científica
2.1
0.817
29/01/2023
000919422700001
2-s2.0-85147272684
BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to abrupt changes in maternity care, but the impact of these changes has not yet been deeply evaluated. This study aimed to assess the impact of the unexpected changes in maternity care due to the COVID-19 pandemic on postpartum mental health (depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder).MethodsA cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted in Spain during the second half of 2020. The eligibility criteria were women >= 18 years with a child <= 6 months. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Screener (GAD-7) and a subset of the PTSD checklist (PCL-5) were used to assess postpartum mental health. Information regarding sociodemographic characteristics and maternity care changes was collected, and multivariate regression models were used.ResultsAmong 1781 participants, 29.3% and 33% had clinically significant depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The most prevalent unexpected changes reported were related to the exclusion of supportive relatives during birth and postpartum. Changes reported during birth showed a minor association with PTSD symptomatology, and those that occurred during the postpartum period were associated with clinical depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms.ConclusionsThe unexpected changes in maternity care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those that occurred during the postpartum period, increased the risk of mental health problems.
Depression; PTSD; GENERALIZED ANXIETY; MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES; COVID-19