Pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative examination of ways of coping
- PMID: 36443483
- PMCID: PMC9707189
- DOI: 10.1007/s00737-022-01277-x
Pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative examination of ways of coping
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and related public health restrictions have impacted the mental health and coping strategies of many population groups, including people who are pregnant. Our study sought to explore the ways that pregnant people described coping with stressors associated with the pandemic. N = 5879 pregnant individuals completed the pan-Canadian Pregnancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic Survey between April and December 2020. We used descriptive statistics to quantify sociodemographic characteristics and thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2019) to analyze n = 3316 open-ended text responses to the question "Can you tell us what things you are doing to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic?" The average age of participants was 32 years (SD = 4.4), with the majority identifying as White (83.6%), female (99.7%), married (61.5%), having completed post-secondary education (90.0%), and working full-time (75.4%). We categorized participant responses into two overarching thematic dimensions: (1) ways of coping and (2) coping challenges. Ways of coping included the following main themes: (1) taking care of oneself, (2) connecting socially, (3) engaging in pandemic-specific coping strategies, (4) keeping busy, (5) taking care of others, (6) creating a sense of normalcy, (7) changing perspectives, and (8) practicing spirituality. Coping challenges included the following: (1) the perception of coping poorly, (2) loss of coping methods, (3) managing frontline or essential work, and (4) worries about the future. Findings highlight important implications for targeted prenatal supports delivered remotely, including opportunities for social support, prenatal care, and mental health strategies.
Keywords: COVID-19; Coping; Prenatal; Qualitative.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.
Figures
Similar articles
-
Patient experiences of fertility clinic closure during the COVID-19 pandemic: appraisals, coping and emotions.Hum Reprod. 2020 Nov 1;35(11):2556-2566. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deaa218. Hum Reprod. 2020. PMID: 32761248 Free PMC article.
-
"Appreciate the Little Things": A Qualitative Survey of Men's Coping Strategies and Mental Health Impacts During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Am J Mens Health. 2022 May-Jun;16(3):15579883221099794. doi: 10.1177/15579883221099794. Am J Mens Health. 2022. PMID: 35608377 Free PMC article.
-
Pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploration of patients' lived experiences.BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021 Dec 31;21(1):851. doi: 10.1186/s12884-021-04337-9. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021. PMID: 34972506 Free PMC article.
-
Bereavement during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Coping Strategies and Mental Health.Psychiatry. 2022 Winter;85(4):354-372. doi: 10.1080/00332747.2022.2051141. Epub 2022 Apr 11. Psychiatry. 2022. PMID: 35404761 Review.
-
Exploration of the occupational and personal dimensions impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for nurses: A qualitative analysis of survey responses.J Adv Nurs. 2022 Jul;78(7):2150-2164. doi: 10.1111/jan.15167. Epub 2022 Feb 8. J Adv Nurs. 2022. PMID: 35133027 Free PMC article. Review.
References
-
- Assaly R (2021) How we got here: A timeline of Alberta’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Toronto Star. Accessed on February 10, 2022: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/09/16/how-we-got-here-a-timelin...
-
- Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006;3(2):77–101. doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa. - DOI
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous