Dataset Information

STEP-COVID: a pilot study of a prenatal intervention for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a global increase in psychological distress in pregnant women. This study evaluated the effects of STEP-COVID, a six-session mentalization-based prenatal group program offered online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 100 participants were allocated to STEP-COVID or to the natural trajectory of prenatal care. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included measures of psychological distress, post-traumatic symptoms and positive affectivity. Perception of change during pregnancy on resilience-promoting factors was also assessed at post-intervention. A significant decrease in psychological distress and post-traumatic symptoms and an increase in positive affectivity were observed in participants in the intervention condition, whereas only post-traumatic symptoms improved in the control condition. Women who participated in STEP-COVID also reported greater changes during pregnancy on resilience-promoting factors than women in the control condition. Results hold promise for buffering the effect of the pandemic on the mental health of pregnant women using brief online interventions. Clinical trial registration: NCT05419167 (15/06/2022).

SUBMITTER: Berthelot N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10116444 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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STEP-COVID: a pilot study of a prenatal intervention for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Berthelot Nicolas N Garon-Bissonnette Julia J Drouin-Maziade Christine C Bergeron Vanessa V Sériès Thibaut T

Scientific reports 20230420 1

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a global increase in psychological distress in pregnant women. This study evaluated the effects of STEP-COVID, a six-session mentalization-based prenatal group program offered online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 100 participants were allocated to STEP-COVID or to the natural trajectory of prenatal care. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included measures of psychological distress, post-traumatic symptoms and positive affectivity. Perceptio ...[more]

PMID: 37081093

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Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected physical and mental health worldwide. Pregnant women already exhibit an elevated risk for depression compared to the general public, a pattern expected to be exacerbated by the pandemic. Certain lifestyle factors, including moderate exercise, may help support mental health during pregnancy, but it is unclear how the pandemic may impact these associations across different locations. Here, we test whether: (i) reported exercise routine alterations during the pandemic are associated with depression scores; and, (ii) the likelihood of reporting pandemic-related exercise changes varies between women living in metro areas and those in non-metro areas.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used data from the COVID-19 And Reproductive Effects (CARE) study, an online survey of pregnant women in the United States. Participants were recruited April-June 2020 (n = 1,856). Linear regression analyses assessed whether reported COVID-19-related exercise change was associated with depression score as measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Survey. Logistic regression analyses tested whether a participant's Rural-Urban Continuum Code classification of "metro" was linked with higher odds of reporting exercise changes compared to a "non-metro" classification.ResultsWomen who reported exercise changes during the pandemic exhibited significantly higher depression scores compared to those reporting no changes. Moreover, individuals living in metro areas of all sizes were significantly more likely to report exercise changes compared to women living in non-metro areas.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the ability to maintain an exercise routine during the pandemic may help support maternal mental health. It may therefore be prudent for providers to explicitly ask patients how the pandemic has impacted their exercise routines and consider altered exercise routines a potential risk factor for depression. An effort should also be made to recommend exercises that are tailored to individual space restrictions and physical health.

Dataset Information

STEP-COVID: a pilot study of a prenatal intervention for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publications

STEP-COVID: a pilot study of a prenatal intervention for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar Datasets

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