Project description:Aims: Women face many sources of stress throughout their lives, and some periods are particularly sensitive; pregnancy is one of them. The COVID-19 pandemic is a likely source of additional stress for pregnant women. Moreover, there is evidence that pregnant women have experienced high levels of anxiety and depression symptoms during the pandemic. Our study aimed to evaluate the association of pregnancy-specific stress, pandemic-related stress, and coping strategies with anxiety, depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology in Italian women during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2020-June 2021). We also investigated whether there were differences in these levels of psychopathology compared to a prior study conducted during the first pandemic wave (April-August 2020) in Italian pregnant women. Methods: We assessed 325 pregnant women receiving outpatient prenatal care, using the Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ), Pandemic-Related Pregnancy Stress Scale (PREPS), the Revised Prenatal Coping Inventory (NuPCI), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) screening. The main analysis was conducted comparing multiple logistic regression models predicting each psychopathological outcome from specific covariates and NuPDQ, PREPS, and NuPCI scores. Results: 42.8% of the sample reported significant levels of anxiety, while 10.3% was positive on depression screening and 13.1% on OCD screening. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of high anxiety, depression, or OCD screening scores compared with the first pandemic wave. Controlling for covariates, we found that GAD-7 and PHQ-2 scores were predicted by pregnancy-specific stress; positive OCD screening was not. The model of high anxiety was improved by adding pandemic-related stress as a predictor (in particular, feeling unprepared for delivery and postpartum). Finally, coping strategies (avoidance, spiritual coping, and planning-preparation) significantly improved prediction of all three psychopathological outcomes. Conclusions: The present study suggests the importance of pregnancy-related stress, COVID-19 pandemic stress, and of coping strategies in counteracting or contributing to psychiatric symptomatology during the current pandemic.
Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, type of delivery, and neonatal feeding of pregnant women with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection during gestation.Study designThe study was conducted online, and anonymous survey was distributed to mothers that delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsThe survey was completed by 286 women, and 64 women (22.4%) had COVID-19 during pregnancy. Women that had SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy or at time of delivery had a significantly higher probability of being separated from the newborn (p < 0.0001) and a significantly lower probability of breastfeeding (p < 0.0001). The Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale, to assess if mothers had symptoms of postnatal depression, showed that items suggestive of postnatal depression were relatively frequent in the whole cohort. However, women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy reported higher probability of responses suggestive of postnatal depression in eight out of 10 items, with statistically significant differences in three items.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic affected the type of delivery and breastfeeding of pregnant women, particularly when they had SARS-CoV-2 infection. This, in turn, had an impact on the psychological status of the interviewed mothers, aspects that could benefit of special support.
Project description:The study aims to assess the impact of the second COVID-19 pandemic wave on migraine characteristics. This is an observational cross-sectional study conducted on migraine patients previously interviewed during the first Italian pandemic outbreak. A second structured telephone interview was conducted between 20 November 2020 and 18 January 2021. We compared migraine characteristics among T0 (before pandemic), T1 (during the first pandemic phase), and T2 (during the second pandemic phase). Among the 433 patients interviewed during the first pandemic phase, 304 cases were finally considered. One hundred forty-eight patients had a control visit between March 2020 and December 2020, 120 had an in-person visit, 14 by phone, the remainder used telemedicine software provided by the hospital. Frequency of headache, number of symptomatic drugs and headache intensity worsened during T2, compared to T0 and T1, especially in episodic migraine. Headache intensity increased relating to the negative emotional impact of the pandemic. Migraine management during the pandemic did not influence the clinical outcome. The prolongation of the pandemic seems to have a negative impact on migraine evolution. The arousal and negative psychological behavior toward the COVID-19 outbreak seem to worsen migraine.
Project description:ObjectiveTo describe the mental health of perinatal women in five European countries during the third pandemic wave and identify risk factors related to depressive and anxiety symptoms.DesignA cross-sectional, online survey-based study.SettingBelgium, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK, 10 June 2021-22 August 2021.ParticipantsPregnant and up to 3 months postpartum women, older than 18 years of age.Primary outcome measureThe Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) were used to assess mental health status. Univariate and multivariate generalised linear models were performed to identify factors associated with poor mental health.Results5210 women participated (including 3411 pregnant and 1799 postpartum women). The prevalence of major depressive symptoms (EDS ≥13) was 16.1% in the pregnancy group and 17.0% in the postpartum . Moderate to severe generalised anxiety symptoms (GAD ≥10) were found among 17.3% of the pregnant and 17.7% of the postpartum women. Risk factors associated with poor mental health included having a pre-existing mental illness, a chronic somatic illness, having had COVID-19 or its symptoms, smoking, unplanned pregnancy and country of residence. Among COVID-19 restrictive measures specific to perinatal care, pregnant and postpartum women were most anxious about not having their partner present at the time of delivery, that their partner had to leave the hospital early and to be separated from their newborn after the delivery.ConclusionApproximately one in six pregnant or postpartum women reported major depression or anxiety symptoms during the third wave of the pandemic. These findings suggest a continued need to monitor depression and anxiety in pregnancy and postpartum populations throughout and in the wake of the pandemic. Tailored support and counselling are essential to reduce the burden of the pandemic on perinatal and infant mental health.
Project description:PurposeTo examine changes in lifestyle behaviors early in the COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant women.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional internet-based survey was completed by 706 pregnant women (mean age 29.6 years ± 3.2) residing in the United States in May 2020 to assess self-reported changes in diet, physical activity, and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression analyses examined whether sociodemographic, clinical, and pandemic-related characteristics were associated with health behavior changes.ResultsApproximately 17% of women reported their diets worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, 42% reported improvements, and 41% reported no change. For physical activity, 22% reported they stopped being active, 2% reported they became active, and 76% reported no change. Nearly one-third of participants reported getting less sleep. The factors consistently associated with adverse lifestyle changes (worse diet, stopped being active, and reduced sleep) were experiences of pregnancy complications, loss of income due to COVID-19, and changes in social connections due to COVID-19.ConclusionsA substantial proportion of pregnant women reported adverse lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions during the pandemic to optimize health behaviors in pregnant women, especially among those with pregnancy complications, should address economic disadvantages and social support.
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the well-being of vulnerable populations in the US, including Black people. The impact on pregnant women is of special concern for the intrauterine and post-natal development of their offspring. We evaluated in an online survey a sample of 913 pregnant women, 216 Black, 571 White, 126 Other, during a 2-week stay-at-home mandate in the Philadelphia region. We applied logistic regression models and analysis of covariance to examine general and pregnancy-specific worries and negative consequences arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and resilience. Black pregnant women reported greater likelihood of having their employment negatively impacted, more concerns about a lasting economic burden, and more worries about their prenatal care, birth experience, and post-natal needs. In the full sample, 11.1% of women met screening criteria for anxiety and 9.9% met criteria for depression. Black women were more likely to meet criteria for depression than White women, but this difference was not significant accounting for covariates. Resilience factors including self-reliance and emotion regulation were higher in Black women. Racial disparities related to COVID-19 in pregnant women can advance the understanding of pregnancy related stressors and improve early identification of mental health needs.
Project description:India has suffered from the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic since March 2021. This wave of the outbreak has been more serious than the first wave pandemic in 2020, which suggests that some new transmission characteristics may exist. COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets, aerosols, and contact with infected surfaces. Air pollutants are also considered to be associated with COVID-19 transmission. However, the roles of indoor transmission in the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of these factors in indoor environments are still poorly understood. Our study focused on reveal the role of indoor transmission in the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India. Our results indicated that human mobility in the home environment had the highest relative influence on COVID-19 daily growth rate in the country. The COVID-19 daily growth rate was significantly positively correlated with the residential percent rate in most state-level areas in India. A significant positive nonlinear relationship was found when the residential percent ratio ranged from 100 to 120%. Further, epidemic dynamics modelling indicated that a higher proportion of indoor transmission in the home environment was able to intensify the severity of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India. Our findings suggested that more attention should be paid to the indoor transmission in home environment. The public health strategies to reduce indoor transmission such as ventilation and centralized isolation will be beneficial to the prevention and control of COVID-19.
Project description:Background Sinonasal mucormycosis is a quickly progressing and lethal fungal disease which showed an increased incidence in COVID-19 patients in the Indian population during the second wave of the pandemic. The objective of this study was to study the various sinus areas affected and the imaging findings of the disease. Methods The imaging records of patients with sinonasal mucormycosis during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were reviewed and analysed for whom computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images had been performed. Results Of the 65 patients, 6.1% had single sinus involvement, and 93.9% had multiple sinus involvement, and out of latter, 91.8% had bilateral sinuses affected by the disease process. A total of 49.2% patients with sinus involvement had erosions of the sinus walls. A total of 35.4% patients had only sinonasal mucormycosis, 38.5% patients had rhino-orbital mucormycosis, 4.6% patients had rhino-cerebral mucormycosis and 16.9% patients had rhino-orbitocerebral mucormycosis. The pterygopalatine fossa was affected in 26.2% patients. A total of 9.2% patients had cavernous sinus thrombosis. A total of 12% of the cases had infarction in the cerebral hemispheres. Conclusion In a setting of sinonasal mucormycosis, especially in the immuno-compromised and with those infected with COVID-19, cross-sectional imaging can assess the presence and extent of the disease and helps plan its medical and surgical management. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43163-023-00457-5.