Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Experiences During COVID-19

Purpose: To identify postpartum depression risk and describe experiences of women in the first 6 weeks after giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design and Methods: Using a convergent mixed-methods approach, we recruited a convenience sample of women living in the United States who gave birth March 1, 2020 or later from social media Web sites. Participants completed the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale-Short Form and provided written answers to open-ended questions regarding their experiences at home with their new infant. Results: Our 262 participants were on average 32.6 years of age, the majority were White (82%), married or partnered (91.9%), and college educated (87.4%). Mean postpartum depression score was 17.7 (SD = 5.9) with 75% scoring ≥14, indicating significant postpartum depressive symptoms. Qualitative content analysis revealed five themes: Isolation and seclusion continue; Fear, anxiety, and stress filled the days; Grieving the loss of normal: It's just so sad; Complicated by postpartum depression: A dark time; and There is a silver lining. Quantitative and qualitative findings provided a holistic view of women's depressive symptoms and experiences at home with their infants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical Implications: Although policies that reduce risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection for patients and the health care team must continue to be implemented, the adverse effects of depressive symptoms on materna...
Source: MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing - Category: Nursing Tags: Feature Source Type: research