Stress and coping among pregnant black women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored stress and coping among pregnant Black women prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal, cohort study. SAMPLE: Thirty-three women enrolled in the Biosocial Impact on Black Births study prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and who were still pregnant during the pandemic. MEASUREMENTS: Questionnaires included the Perceived Stress Scale, Prenatal Coping Inventory, and questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, worry about COVID-19, and coping strategies used during the pandemic. RESULTS: Women reported very much being worried about my child getting COVID-19 (46%) and my family member getting COVID-19 (46%). Women reported specific active coping strategies very much reduced their feelings of discomfort during COVID-19: God, religion, or spirituality (24%), social media (24%), and following government advice (24%). Higher use of avoidance coping prior to the pandemic was associated with higher levels of stress both prior to (r = 0.60, p < .001) and during (r = 0.47, p < .01) the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Women reported worries about COVID-19 and used various strategies to cope with feelings of discomfort due to the pandemic. Nurses should assess the stress level of pregnant Black women and recommend active coping strategies during the pandemic.

The influence of psychological response and security sense on pregnancy stress during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019: A mediating model.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To observe the psychological status of pregnant women during COVID-19 pandemic, and to test a hypothetical model that estimates the influence of psychological response to COVID-19 and security sense on pregnancy stress. BACKGROUND: COVID-19 advanced rapidly and then spread worldwide. Pregnant women were more susceptible to the COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, it is not clear whether this infection will increase the risk of congenital monstrosity, foetal growth restriction, premature delivery or cause other long-term adverse effects. DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey. METHODS: A total of 331 pregnant women participated in this study. And this research adhered to the STROBE guideline. The psychological questionnaire for emergent events of public health, pregnancy stress scale and security questionnaire were used to collect data. The hypothetical path model was tested using the SPSS version 25.0 software and AMOS version 26.0 software. RESULTS: Fear and depression were the most common psychological responses among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hypothesis model of this study fitted the data well, and the results showed that psychological response positively affected pregnancy stress, while security sense negatively affected pregnancy stress; security sense mediated between psychological response and pregnancy stress. CONCLUSION: Nurses and midwives can help reduce the stress in pregnant women by alleviating their psychological response to the COVID-19 pandemic and by improving their security sense. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: It is essential for the health staff to build trust with pregnant women and their families, and communicate accurate information to them. Nurses should promptly conduct a psychological response evaluation and psychological guidance for pregnant women to alleviate their fears and hypochondria related to COVID-19.