The risk and protective factors of heightened prenatal anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 lockdown.

ABSTRACT: While pregnant women are already at-risk for developing symptoms of anxiety and depression, this is heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared anxiety and depression symptoms, as indicators of psychological distress, before and during COVID-19, and investigated the role of partner, social network and healthcare support on COVID-19-related worries and consequently on psychological distress. A national survey, conducted during the first lockdown in The Netherlands, assessed COVID-19 experiences and psychological distress (N = 1421), whereas a comparison sample (N = 1439) was screened for psychological distress in 2017-2018. During COVID-19, the percentage of mothers scoring above the questionnaires' clinical cut-offs doubled for depression (6% and 12%) and anxiety (24% and 52%). Wo

SUBMITTER: Vacaru S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8511267 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature