Determination of Anxiety and Perceived Social Support among Mothers with Infants from 0-1 Years During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

Background: Many children were registered to be infected as a result of close contact with COVID-19 cases or due to travel through epidemic regions. On one hand, the responsibility of motherhood and the womans mental adjustment to this role, and on the other, the inadequate data about effects of COVID-19 on the baby may cause anxiety disorders in mothers. At the same time, social support provided during one of the vital crisis periods of parenting may assist in reducing stress on the individual. Objektive The aim of this descriptive study was to determine the anxiety and perceived social support levels felt by mothers with infants 0-1 years old during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The sample of the study was comprised 146 mothers with infants from 0-1 years of age reached online. Study data were collected with a questionnaire Generalized Anxiety Disorder Test (GAD-7) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results: Forty one percent of mother had someone to support baby care, 81.5% followed news related to COVID19, 80.8% had sufficient knowledge levels about COVID-19 and 85.6% experienced worry about their babys health during the COVID-19 pandemic. GAD-7 test points of 96.9% of mothers had higher than limit for generalized anxiety disorder. Mothers MSPSS score were above the mean. Mothers with low income, insufficient knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic and experienced worry about the babys health had higher mean GAD7 7 points and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). Additionally, mean GAD7 7 were significantly correlated at low levels with the MSPSS total (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of the study determined that as perceived social support reduced, anxiety levels increased among mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.