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. 2023 Jan;160(1):167-186.
doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14388. Epub 2022 Aug 20.

Risk factors for anxiety and depression among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of a web-based multinational cross-sectional study

Anna Kajdy  1 , Dorota Sys  1 , Artur Pokropek  2 , Steven W Shaw  3 , Tung-Yao Chang  4 , Pavel Calda  5 , Ganesh Acharya  6   7 , Maya Ben-Zion  7   8 , Tal Biron-Shental  7   8 , Dariusz Borowski  9 , Bartosz Czuba  10 , Adolfo Etchegaray  11 , Stepan Feduniw  1 , Rosario Garcia-Mandujano  12 , Monica Garcia Santacruz  13 , Maria M Gil  14 , Sonia Hassan  15   16   17 , Sebastian Kwiatkowski  18 , Arancha Martin-Arias  14 , Raigam Jafet Martinez-Portilla  19 , Federico Prefumo  20 , Michał Rabijewski  1 , Laurent J Salomon  21 , Heidi Tiller  22 , Stefan Verlohren  23 , Hian Yan Voon  24 , Omar Fernando Yanque-Robles  25 , Soon Leong Yong  26 , Liona C Poon  27 ; Mind-COVID Collaborative Team
Collaborators, Affiliations

Risk factors for anxiety and depression among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of a web-based multinational cross-sectional study

Anna Kajdy et al. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To assess risk factors for anxiety and depression among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic using Mind-COVID, a prospective cross-sectional study that compares outcomes in middle-income economies and high-income economies.

Methods: A total of 7102 pregnant women from 12 high-income economies and nine middle-income economies were included. The web-based survey used two standardized instruments, General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

Result: Pregnant women in high-income economies reported higher PHQ-9 (0.18 standard deviation [SD], P < 0.001) and GAD-7 (0.08 SD, P = 0.005) scores than those living in middle-income economies. Multivariate regression analysis showed that increasing PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales were associated with mental health problems during pregnancy and the need for psychiatric treatment before pregnancy. PHQ-9 was associated with a feeling of burden related to restrictions in social distancing, and access to leisure activities. GAD-7 scores were associated with a pregnancy-related complication, fear of adverse outcomes in children related to COVID-19, and feeling of burden related to finances.

Conclusions: According to this study, the imposed public health measures and hospital restrictions have left pregnant women more vulnerable during these difficult times. Adequate partner and family support during pregnancy and childbirth can be one of the most important protective factors against anxiety and depression, regardless of national economic status.

Keywords: anxiety; coronavirus disease 2019; cross-sectional studies; depression; economic status; mental health; patient health questionnaire; pregnant women.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Recruitment and screened records.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
PHQ‐9 and GAD‐7 results corrected for demographics and age in high‐income and middle‐income regions.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Correlations between scales PHQ‐9 and GAD‐7 (0.7613).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Comparison of multivariate regression of variables affecting the results of the PHQ‐9 scale. Footnote: ** difference statistically significant at P = 0.05 and *difference statistically significant at P = 0.1.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Comparison of multivariate regression of variables affecting the results of the GAD‐7 scale. Footnote: ** difference statistically significant at P = 0.05 and * difference statistically significant at P = 0.1.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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