Stress, coping and silver linings: How depressed perinatal women experienced the COVID-19 pandemic.

J Affect Disord

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert School of Medicine of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Women and Infants' Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, USA; Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.

Published: February 2022

AI Article Synopsis

  • The study focused on perinatal women with histories of depression, examining how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their mental health.
  • Over 75% of participants reported a decline in mental health, with significant numbers experiencing elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  • Despite the challenges, many women identified positive experiences and coping strategies that helped them navigate the stress of the pandemic, highlighting adaptive behaviors that contributed to their resilience.

Article Abstract

Background: Research on perinatal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic has largely focused on data from community samples. This study sought to understand the experiences of pregnant and postpartum women with histories of clinically elevated symptoms of depression.

Methods: Participants included 60 perinatal women who participated in wellness intervention trials for women with antenatal depression. We used a mixed methods approach, assessing depression, anxiety, stressors and coping behaviors, along with narrative responses to questions regarding COVID-specific effects on mental health.

Results: Over three-fourths of the sample indicated a worsening of mental health during the pandemic, with 31.7% of women endorsing clinically elevated depression symptoms and 36.7% screening positive for anxiety. Women reported negative impacts on their emotional wellbeing, especially a resurgence of mental health symptoms. Participants also articulated positive experiences during the pandemic, including an appreciation for increased time with family, especially infants. Women detailed numerous, mostly adaptive, coping strategies they had used to mitigate stress; self-isolation and spending time outdoors were associated with having depression above or below the clinical cut off, respectively.

Limitations: The study had a small sample, and the generalizability of findings may be limited, given that participants were clinical trial completers.

Conclusions: Although the pandemic upended many aspects of life for perinatal women and raised mental health concerns, many also reported adaptive means of coping and positive experiences or 'silver linings' related to pandemic restrictions. Some coping strategies that were utilized, including wellness-based behaviors, may have helped to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 related stress.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8548890PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.116DOI Listing

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