Pregnancy and isolation: anxiety and depression in pregnant women during COVID-19 lockdown.

DEL VALLE, MACARENA VERÓNICA; POÓ, FERNANDO; CANET JURIC, LORENA; GELPI-TRUDO, ROSARIO; LÓPEZ MORALES, HERNÁN; ANDRÉS, MARÍA LAURA; URQUIJO, SEBASTIÁN

San Juan

Congreso; Congreso Virtual de la Sociedad Interamericana de Psicología 2020: Aportes de la Psicología ante la Covid-19; 2020

Sociedad Interamericana de Psicología

Background: A large body of research has reported susceptibility to stress and psychological distress during pregnancy. Due to this, pregnancy could be a risk factor that deepens the already negative effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic, making this group more susceptible to the appearance of psychological discomfort, the development of a psychopathological disorder or an increase in the severity of symptoms as the days of isolation pass. The objective of this work is to longitudinally analyze the presence and evolution of psychopathological indicators of anxiety and depression in pregnant women throughout the period of confinement, and compare it with non-pregnant women.Methods: The participants in this longitudinal study were 102 pregnant women and a control group of 102 non-pregnant women. They completed the Beck-II Depression Inventory, the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a questionnaire on sociodemographic variables, at three different times (2, 14, and 47 days after the start of quarantine measures in Argentina).Results: In a time, interval of approximately 50 days of isolation, all women showed a gradual and significant increase in the psychopathological indicators of anxiety and depression. Pregnant women showed, in turn, a more pronounced increase in depression and anxiety compared to non-pregnant women. On the other hand, no effects of the sociodemographic variables on anxiety and depression were found.Conclusions: A rigorous and accurate evaluation of this context will represent a valuable input for the subsequent design, planning and execution of health policies, with the main objective of preventing and counteracting the negative consequences on the mental health of mothers and children. In turn, it represents an important empirical contribution to institutions dedicated to perinatal health care to optimize the provision of their services and adapt them to current requirements.