Depressive symptoms and psychological distress from antenatal to postnatal period in women with high-risk pregnancy: A prospective study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on mental disorders in postnatal period remains unknown.

Aim: The study aimed to determine the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may aggravate depressive symptoms and psychological distress of women with high-risk pregnancy in postnatal period.

Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on women with complicated pregnancies from antenatal to postnatal period. In the first phase, from December 2019 to January 2020 (before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic), 122 pregnant women filled in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Brief Symptom Inventory 53-items (BSI-53). In the second phase, with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic from February to June, 30% of the participants (41/122) completed three questionnaires: EPDS, BSI-53, and the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scale in postpartum period.

Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, from antenatal to postnatal period, the depression score of EPDS, total scores, all the subscales of BSI-53, and global severity index-53 increased in women with high-risk pregnancy. Furthermore, the persistence of antenatal depression occurred in 85.7% of the participants, and the onset of postnatal depression occurred in 80% of them. About 12% of the women also experienced PTSD symptoms during the postnatal period.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic may aggravate the prevalence and persistence of postnatal depression in women with high-risk pregnancy. The study calls for clinical implementation to identify and help women with mental disorders in postnatal period, especially women experiencing complicated pregnancies.