The long-term postpartum anxiety and depression outcomes for mothers with COVID-19 during pregnancy

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with negative mental outcomes in the early postpartum period. Objective: To assess the long-term postpartum mental health of women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy. Methods: Cross-sectional study in 101 pregnant women who gave birth in a tertiary center during the COVID-19 pandemic, between March 31, 2020, and November 30, 2021. The pregnant women were classified into 2 groups as COVID-19 positive (study group, n=52) and COVID-19 negative (control group, n=49). Sociodemographic and obstetric data were collected by questionnaire in the early (≤6 months) and late (6-18 months) postpartum periods. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores were calculated by analysis of the participants' data. Results: The mean BDI score and the rate of depression (BDI score >13) in COVID-19 positive patients were higher in the early postpartum period than in the late postpartum period. According to multivariate linear regression analysis, there was a significant correlation between the BDI score of COVID-19 patients and educational level and employment status. According to the same analysis, there was a significant correlation between the BAI score of COVID-19 patients and spousal support, marital relationship, and birth-related diseases. We found that COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative patients had similar BDI and BAI scores in the early (≤6 months) and late (6-18 months) postpartum periods. In addition, rates of anxiety and depression were similar in both groups at the same postpartum periods. Conclusion: In our study, COVID-19 infection in pregnancy had no significant additional impact on long-term postpartum maternal mental health.