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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Am J Perinatol 2024; 41(S 01): e1301-e1312
DOI: 10.1055/a-2008-4674
Original Article

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic-Related Long-Term Chronic Impacts on Psychological Health of Perinatal Women in China

Enjie Zhang   *
1   Department of Central Laboratory, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
,
Shaofei Su   *
1   Department of Central Laboratory, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
,
Shen Gao
1   Department of Central Laboratory, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
,
Ruixia Liu
1   Department of Central Laboratory, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
,
Xin Ding
2   Department of Obstetrics, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
,
Yue Zhang
3   Department of Research Management, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
,
Shuanghua Xie
1   Department of Central Laboratory, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
,
Jianhui Liu
1   Department of Central Laboratory, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
,
Wentao Yue
3   Department of Research Management, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
,
Chenghong Yin
1   Department of Central Laboratory, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, People Republic of China
› Author Affiliations Funding This study was supported by The National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC1000101) and Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital “Excellent Youth” Plan Special Funds (NO.YQRC201907).
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Abstract

Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused far-reaching changes in all areas of society. However, limited data have focused on the long-term impacts on perinatal psychological health. This study aims to evaluate long-term impacts of COVID-19 pandemic crisis on psychological health among perinatal women and investigate associated factors.

Study Design A multicenter, cross-sectional study, the psychological subproject of China Birth Cohort Study (CBCS), was conducted in 2021. Demographic and obstetric characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, psychological status, and COVID-19-pandemic-related factors were obtained. The symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia of participants were assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Insomnia Severity Index, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify associated factors of adverse psychological symptoms.

Results Totally, 1,246 perinatal women were enrolled, with the overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms being 63.16, 41.89, and 44.38%, respectively. Perinatal women who needed psychological counseling and were very worried about the COVID-19 pandemic were 1.8 to 7.2 times more likely to report symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Unemployment, flu-like symptoms, younger maternal age, and previous diseases before pregnancy were risk factors for depression, anxiety, or insomnia.

Conclusion Our study revealed that the prevalence of perinatal depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms was at a high level even 1 year after the pandemic outbreak, implying pandemic-associated long-term psychological impacts on perinatal women existed. Government should not only pay attention to the acute effects of psychological health but also to long-term psychological impacts on perinatal women after major social events.

Key Points

  • The prevalence of perinatal psychological symptoms was at a high level after the COVID-19 outbreak.

  • Perinatal women who were very worried about COVID-19 were more often to have psychological symptoms.

  • Perinatal women with demands of mental counseling were more likely to report psychological symptoms.

Keywords

anxiety - COVID-19 pandemic - depression - insomnia - mental health - psychological health - perinatal women

* These authors have contributed equally to this work and share first authorship.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 24 November 2022

Accepted: 16 December 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
05 January 2023

Article published online:
15 February 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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