The relationship between pregnant women’s COVID-19 pandemic perceptions and anxiety levels
Aim: Pregnant women experience increased anxiety during epidemics such as COVID-19. The aim of this research is to investigate the correlation between pregnant women’s perceptions of sensitivity, protection, and social trust regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and their state and trait anxiety levels.
Methods: This research was conducted as a descriptive and correlational type in Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital of a province. The study included 130 literate pregnant women who were over 18, did not have a previous psychiatric illness, and agreed to participate in the study through convenience sampling. The Pregnant Introductory Form, General Community COVID-19 Scale, and State and Trait Anxiety Scale were used to collect data.
Results: A positive, very weak, and statistically significant relationship was found between protection from the pandemic and the mean state and trait anxiety scores. A negative, very weak, and statistically significant relationship was found between social trust and the mean trait anxiety scores during the pandemic (p<0.05).
Conclusion: It was determined that pregnant women experienced moderate state anxiety and mild trait anxiety during this epidemic.
References
- Akgor U, Fadıloglu E, Soyak B, Unal C, Cagan M, Temiz BE, et al., Anxiety, depression and concerns of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2021;304:125–30.
- Rabinowitz EP, Kutash LA, Richeson AL, Sayer MA, Samii MR, Delahanty DL. Depression, anxiety, and stress in pregnancy and postpartum: A longitudinal study during the COVID-19 pandemic. Midwifery 2023;121:103655.
- Ghazanfarpour M, Bahrami F, Rashidi Fakari F, Ashrafinia F, Babakhanian M, Dordeh M, et al. Prevalence of anxiety and depression among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a meta-analysis. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 2022;43:315–26.
- Moyer CA, Compton SD, Kaselitz E, Muzik M. Pregnancy-related anxiety during COVID-19: A nationwide survey of 2740 pregnant women. Arch Womens Ment Health 2020; 23:757-65.
- Muñoz-Vela FJ, Rodríguez-Díaz L, Gómez-Salgado J, Fernández-Carrasco FJ, Allande-Cussó R, Vázquez-Lara JM, et al. Fear and anxiety in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. Int J Public Health 2023;68:1605587.
- Saccone G, Florio A, Aiello F, Venturella R, De Angelis MC, Locci, et al. Psychological impact of coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020;223:293-95.
- Sinaci S, Ozden Tokalioglu E, Ocal D, Atalay A Yılmaz G, Keskin HL, et al., Does having a high-risk pregnancy influence anxiety level during the COVID-19 pandemic? Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2020;255:190-96.
- Bostan S, Erdem R, Ozturk YE, Kilic T, Yilmaz A. The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the Turkish society. Electron J Gen Med 2020;17:em237.
- Tunçel NT, Süt HK. The effect of anxiety, depression and prenatal distress levels in pregnancy on prenatal attachment. The Journal of Gynecology – Obstetrics and Neonatology 2019;16:9-17.
- Öner N, Le Compte A. ‘’Handbook of state-trait anxiety inventory’’. Istanbul, Bogaziçi University Publication. 1983.
- Tavşancıl E. Tutumların Ölçülmesi ve SPSS ile Veri Analizi. 6. Baskı. Ankara, Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık. 2019.
- Ding WJ, Lu Y, Zhou W, Wei Z, Zhou M, Chen M. Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and influencing factors of anxiety among pregnant women in Wuhan during the outbreak of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study. BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth 2021;21:1-9.
- Demirel Bozkurt Ö, Taner A, Doğan S. Anxiety levels, coping behaviors, and affecting factors of pregnants during the COVID-19 pandemic process. Journal of Nursology 2022;25:69-76.
- Özcan H, Elkoca A, Yiğitbaş Ç, Aydin Kartal Y. State-trait anxiety condition and ıts affecting factors in pregnant women linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatr Danub 2022;34:356–63.
- Corbett GA, Milne SJ, Hehir MP, Lindow SW, O’connell MP. Health anxiety and behavioural changes of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2020; 249:96–97.
- Diamanti A, Sarantaki A, Kalamata N, Vivilaki V, Varnakioti D, Lykeridou A. Pregnancy during the pandemic: The psychological impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women in Greece. Eur J Midwifery 2023;7:2.
- Mizrak Sahin B, Kabakci EN. The experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey: A qualitative study. Women Birth 2021;34:162-69.
- Stepowicz A, Wencka B, Bieńkiewicz J, Horzelski W, Grzesiak M. Stress and anxiety levels in pregnant and post-partum women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17:9450.
- Doncarli A, Araujo-Chaveron L, Crenn-Hebert C, Vacheron MN, Léon C, Khireddine I, et al. Mental health of pregnant women during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in France: Evolution of self-perceived psychological state during the first lockdown, and anxiety frequency two months after the lockdown ended. Plos One 2023;18:e0272108.
- Demir R. Prenatal and postpartum emotions, thoughts and concerns of a pregnant woman with coronavirus disease. Gevher Nesibe Journal of Medical and Health Sciences 2022;7:43-8.
- Bell AJ, Afulani P, Compton S, Barringer S, Kaselitz E, Muzik M, et al., Understanding how COVID-19 affected black pregnant women early in the pandemic: A cross-sectional survey. Midwifery 2024;130:103915.
- Harville EW, Wood ME, Sutton EF. Social distancing and mental health among pregnant women during the coronavirus pandemic. BMC Women’s Health 2023;23:189.
- Rokicki S, Mackie TI, D’Oria R, Flores M, Watson A, Byatt N, et al. A qualitative investigation of the experiences of women with Perinatal Depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maternal and Child Health Journal 2024; 28(2):274-86.
- Awad-Sirhan N, Simó-Teufel S, Molina-Muñoz Y, Cajiao-Nieto J, Izquierdo-Puchol MT. Factors associated with prenatal stress and anxiety in pregnant women during COVID-19 in Spain. Enferm Clin 2022;32:5–13.
- Cigăran RG, Botezatu R, Mînecan EM, Gică C, Panaitescu AM, Peltecu G, et al., The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant women. Healthcare 2021;9:725.
- Paz-Pascual C, Artieta-Pinedo I, Bully P, Garcia-Alvarez A, Espinosa M. Anxiety and depression in pregnancy: associated variables during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Enfermería Clínica (English Edition) 2024;34(1):23-33.