Distress and anxiety associated with COVID-19 among Jewish and Arab pregnant women in Israel

Abstract

Introduction:The fact that little is yet known about the possible implications of COVID-19 for pregnancy, puts pregnant women at greater risk of heightened anxiety and psychological distress. In this study, we sought to explore the psychological distress and COVID-19-related anxiety of pregnant women during the crisis. Methods: Israeli Jewish and Arab pregnant women (n = 336) aged 20-47 completed a set of questionnaires during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Results:The levels of all COVID-19-related anxieties were quite high (much or very much), with the highest regarding public places and transportation (87.5%, 70%, respectively), followed by concerns over the possible infection of other family members and the health of the foetus (71.7%, 70%, respectively), going for pregnancy checkups (68.7%,), being infected themselves, and the delivery (59.2%, 55.4%, respectively). Although COVID-19-related anxieties were shared by pregnant women characterised by diverse sociodemographic variables, with very small nuances, Arab women were more anxious about each of the issues than Jewish women. Discussion: Our findings highlight the importance of assessing anxiety and distress in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the need to be attentive to the double stress of pregnant women in times of crisis and to the potential vulnerability of subgroups, such as cultural minorities.

Depression and Anxiety Among Pregnant Mothers in the Initial Stage of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic in Southwest of Iran

“…Additionally, few studies reported that psychological distress of pregnant mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it may be revealed as a risk factor of child developmental disorders [13,14]. Hence, this study was aimed to investigate the depression, anxiety, and stress level of pregnant mothers in the initial stage of the COVID-19 infection in Southwest of Iran.…”

Vulnerability and resilience to pandemic-related stress among U.S. women pregnant at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Experiencing a natural disaster or state of emergency during pregnancy is known to contribute to elevated emotional distress ( Brooks et al, 2020 ; Glynn et al, 2001 ), a well-documented risk factor in pregnancy for adverse maternal and infant outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, maternal mood disorders, and infant developmental delays ( Field, 2017 ; Ibrahim and Lobel, 2020 ; Lee, 2014 ). Emerging evidence from around the world indicates that women pregnant during the current COVID-19 pandemic are experiencing moderate to high levels of psychological distress ( Saccone et al, 2020 ; Taubman – Ben-Ari et al, 2020 ; Wu et al, 2020 ). This finding is a likely the result of the social, economic, and healthcare disruptions that are affecting pregnant women and their families as well as uncertainty regarding the effect of COVID-19 on the fetus ( Caparros-Gonzalez and Alderdice, 2020 ; Kelly et al, 2020 ; Lebel et al, 2020 ).…”

Prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among pregnant women during COVID-19-related lockdown in Abakaliki, Nigeria

“…5 Anxiety over the pregnant woman's own health and that of the foetus may have detrimental effects on maternal and foetal well-being. 6 Anxiety is common during and after pregnancy as women anticipate and adjust to motherhood, especially in those women and couples who have previously experienced adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as, miscarriage and perinatal death. 7,8 The is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in (which was not certified by peer review) preprint…”