The Covid 19 outbreak: Maternal Mental Health and Associated Factors.
Refika Genç Koyucu, Pelin Palas Karaca
PMID 33957520WHAT IT FOUND
During Turkey's early pandemic, pregnant women reported elevated anxiety and depression; job loss, poor finances, obstetric risk, and low support were linked to worse mental health.
Screening and support may help, but causes were not tested.
Key findings
01Pregnant women reported moderate anxiety, moderate depression, and mild stress on the DASS-21.
02Job loss was linked to higher risk of moderate/high anxiety, depression, and stress; the paper reports risks 3 times, 6 times, and 4.8 times higher, respectively.
03Higher perceived social support was associated with a lower likelihood of moderate/high anxiety, depression, and stress.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
This was a cross-sectional survey, so it can show associations but cannot prove that job loss, obstetric risk, or low support caused mental symptoms. Women were recruited through a social media page, not randomly sampled, so results may not represent all pregnant women in Turkey or elsewhere. The study excluded women who reported a previous psychiatric disorder, which may leave out women already at high risk and change the apparent rates. Symptoms were measured by self-report questionnaires, not clinical diagnoses, and many women had incomplete or inconsistent answers that were excluded. Data were collected only between 5/6/2020 and 12/6/2020 in Turkey, so findings may not apply to other pandemic phases, countries, or groups.
Declared interests
The research received no specific grant, and the authors declared no conflict of interest. Recruitment used a social media page whose content was controlled by 19 physicians.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read job loss, obstetric risk, or low social support as proven causes of maternal mental disorders. This was a cross-sectional survey, so it only reports associations. Do not treat DASS-21 categories as clinical diagnoses.