Mental Health and Marital Satisfaction Changes of Pregnant and Lactating Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Women during pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth are vulnerable to mental disorders in the outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). There is a relationship between mental health and marital satisfaction. This study aimed to assess mental health, anxiety, depression, and marital satisfaction among pregnant and lactating women and compared the results with non-pregnant/lactating (as control group) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.Methods: A cross-sectional study among married women in range of 18 to 45 years via online questionnaires was conducted from 20 March to 25 April, 2020. A total of 604 valid questionnaires were analyzed, including 200 pregnant women, 203 lactating women, and 201 non-pregnant/lactating women. Mental health, COVID-19-related anxiety, and marital satisfaction were respectively assessed by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS), and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS Scale). The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results: The scores of mental health problems in pregnant and lactating women were significantly higher than the control group (18.86±12.56 and 18.83±13.99 vs. 13.01±8.15, P<0.00). The total CDAS score in the control group was significantly less than pregnant women (30.87±10.56 vs. 26.05±6.12, P<0.001) and lactating women (30.80±11.37 vs. 26.05±6.12, P<0.001). The mean of marital satisfaction was significantly lower in the pregnant women (28.06±2.67 vs. 29.64±3.18, P < 0.001) and lactating women (28.74±3.58 vs. 29.64±3.18, p = 0.01) compared with the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in the depression among three groups (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Pregnant and lactating women had more mental health problems, more anxiety and less marital satisfaction in comparison to non-pregnant/lactating women in the course of COVID-19 outbreaks. Further study is needed to investigate the effect of COVID-19 prevalence on mental health and marital satisfaction of pregnant and lactating women, considering the socioeconomic status.

Mental health effect of COVID-19 pandemic among women who are pregnant and/or lactating: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Of the total 29 studies, 10 were excluded due to inconsistency of results. 31 – 40 Eventually, 19 eligible studies were used in the final analysis of the current systematic review and meta-analysis 41 – 59 ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…Of total of 19 studies included in the final analysis, four studies were done in Canada, 42 , 47 , 52 , 57 three studies in China, 48 , 50 , 56 two in Iran, 41 , 45 six in European countries (Belgium, 55 United Kingdom, 44 Turkey, 58 Ireland, 51 Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, 46 and Italy 49 ), and the rest were conducted in the United States, 59 Colombia, 53 and Sri Lanka. 54 All studies were cross-sectional studies and critical appraisal of cross-sectional studies conducted revealed that about 95% of studies scored more than 75%, only one scored lowest scored 62.5%.…”

“… 54 All studies were cross-sectional studies and critical appraisal of cross-sectional studies conducted revealed that about 95% of studies scored more than 75%, only one scored lowest scored 62.5%. The majority of the studies were conducted among pregnant women alone, except studies done in United States, 59 Belgium, 55 and Iran 45 were conducted in both pregnant and lactating women ( Table 1 ).…”

Pregnancy-related anxiety and its associated factors during COVID-19 pandemic in Iranian pregnant women: a web-based cross-sectional study

“…These findings imply that the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious challenge for pregnant women. A former study in Iran also showed that pregnant women had higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety compared with their non-pregnant counterparts [ 40 ]. Another study in Iran revealed that pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy were concerned with COVID-19 disease and its consequences and had higher levels of anxiety.…”

“…Contrary to our findings, a former study reported no significant difference in depression rate among pregnant women before and after the SARS outbreak [ 8 ]. A study in Iran also showed no significant difference among non-pregnant, pregnant, and breastfeeding women regarding depression rate during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 40 ].…”