Cited by 1,017Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumCOVID-19 and Mental HealthCOVID-19 Impact on Reproduction

Elevated depression and anxiety symptoms among pregnant individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Lebel, Catherine, MacKinnon, Anna, Bagshawe, Mercedes, Tomfohr-Madsen, Lianne, Giesbrecht, Gerald·2020·Journal of Affective Disorders

Abstract

Background Anxiety and depression symptoms in pregnancy typically affect between 10 and 25% of pregnant individuals. Elevated symptoms of depression and anxiety are associated with increased risk of preterm birth, postpartum depression, and behavioural difficulties in children. The current COVID-19 pandemic is a unique stressor with potentially wide-ranging consequences for pregnancy and beyond.Methods We assessed symptoms of anxiety and depression among pregnant individuals during the current COVID-19 pandemic and determined factors that were associated with psychological distress. 1987 pregnant participants in Canada were surveyed in April 2020. The assessment included questions about COVID-19-related stress and standardized measures of depression, anxiety, pregnancy-related anxiety, and social support.Results We found substantially elevated anxiety and depression symptoms compared to similar pre-pandemic pregnancy cohorts, with 37% reporting clinically relevant symptoms of depression and 57% reporting clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety. Higher symptoms of depression and anxiety were associated with more concern about threats of COVID-19 to the life of the mother and baby, as well as concerns about not getting the necessary prenatal care, relationship strain, and social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher levels of perceived social support and support effectiveness, as well as more physical activity, were associated with lower psychological symptoms.Conclusion This study shows concerningly elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression among pregnant individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, that may have long-term impacts on their children. Potential protective factors include increased social support and exercise, as these were associated with lower symptoms and thus may help mitigate long-term negative outcomes.

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic is linked to mental health problems, particularly in pregnancy and the early postpartum period.

    “The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with mental health difficulties, especially during pregnancy and early postpartum.”

    From The Indirect Effect of Parental Intolerance of Uncertainty on Perinatal Mental Health via Mindfulness During COVID-19 (2021) · cites this paper as Lebel et al., 2020

    The Conclusions report elevated anxiety and depression symptoms among pregnant individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Discussion mentions postpartum depression only as a potential consequence of prenatal distress; the study does not establish mental health difficulties during the early postpartum period. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of pregnant women, with more than one-third reporting clinically relevant symptoms of depression and more than half reporting clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety.

    “In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of pregnant women, with more than one-third reporting clinically relevant symptoms of depression and more than half of women reporting clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety (2–4).”
  • Access to in-person psychological treatments has been severely limited in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, further highlighting the need for effective interventions delivered remotely.

    “At the same time, access to in-person psychological treatments has been severely limited in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, further highlighting the need for effective interventions delivered remotely (3).”

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Authors
Lebel, C., MacKinnon, A., Bagshawe, M., Tomfohr-Madsen, L., & Giesbrecht, G.
Affiliations
University of Calgary (CA)
Corresponding author
Lebel, Catherine
Venue
Journal of Affective Disorders
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-12
Volume
277
Pages
5-13
ISSN
0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3046762513
Cited by
1,017
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 51 · 2025: 62 · 2024: 130 · 2023: 228 · 2022: 281 · 2021: 215 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 1 · 2013: 1
FWCI
144.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
erratum (2021-01-15)
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction
Keywords
antenatal depression, prenatal anxiety, COVID-19 pandemic, psychological distress, social support, physical activity, prenatal care access, relationship strain, social isolation, maternal mental health, pregnancy-related anxiety
MeSH terms
Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Canada, Depression, Female, Health Services Accessibility, Humans, Middle Aged, Pneumonia, Viral, Pregnancy, Prenatal Care, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Social Isolation, Social Support, Stress, Psychological, Coronavirus Infections, Depression, Postpartum, Pregnant People, Pregnant Women, Young Adult, Pandemics

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