Factors Associated with Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress in Mothers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the factors associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress in mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted with mothers of children and adolescents living in Brazil, who answered an online questionnaire containing sociodemographic variables and the Impact of Events Scale-Revised. The Poisson regression model with robust variance was used to identify the factors associated with posttraumatic stress.

Results: A percentage of 83.82% of mothers reported an overload in caring for their children during the pandemic. The prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms was 39.05%, and this condition was associated with younger age, living in the northern region of the country, using medications, presenting neuropsychiatric comorbidities and being little/more or less satisfied with life.

Conclusions for practice: The mental health situation of mothers during and after the pandemic must be monitored, in order to guarantee public policies capable of optimizing the coping with the situation.