The impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health during pregnancy and postpartum

Bartmann C, Kimmel T, Davidova P, Kalok M, Essel C, Ahmed FB, McNeill RV, Wolfgang T, Reif A, Bahlmann F, Wöckel A, Trautmann-Villalba P, Kämmerer U, Kittel-Schneider S (2024)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

PLoS ONE Public Library of Science

Book Volume: 19

Article Number: e0310902

Journal Issue: 9

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310902

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Methods The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic situation during and post pregnancy was addressed on three main factors; maternal mental health, mother-child bonding, and maternal self-confidence. To do this, two different patient cohorts were compared; data from one cohort was collected pre-pandemic, and data was collected from the other cohort at the beginning of the pandemic. Questionnaires were used to collect data regarding depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS]), anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]), maternal self-confidence (Lips Maternal Self-Confidence Scale [LMSCS]) and mother-child bonding (Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire [PBQ]). Results There were no significant differences in depressive symptoms (EPDS with an average median of 4.00–5.00) or anxiety (STAI with an average median of 29.00–33.00) between the cohorts. However, the quality of postpartum maternal bonding was higher at 3–6 months in the pandemic cohort, which was also influenced by education and the mode and number of births. The maternal self-confidence was lower in the pandemic sample, also depending on the mode of birth delivery. Conclusions In this study, a differential effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mother-child bonding and maternal self-confidence was observed. The results thereby identified possible protective factors of the pandemic, which could potentially be implemented to improve maternal mental health and bonding to the child under normal circumstances.

Involved external institutions

Universitätsklinikum Würzburg DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt am Main (KGU) DE Germany (DE) Bürger­hospital Frankfurt DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Bartmann, C., Kimmel, T., Davidova, P., Kalok, M., Essel, C., Ahmed, F.B.,... Kittel-Schneider, S. (2024). The impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health during pregnancy and postpartum. PLoS ONE, 19(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310902

MLA:

Bartmann, Catharina, et al. "The impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health during pregnancy and postpartum." PLoS ONE 19.9 (2024).

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