The Effect of Fear of Covid-19 on Anxiety and Postpartum Depression in Postpartum Women: Cross-sectional study

Purpose This study aimed to determine the effect of fear of Covid-19 on anxiety and postpartum depression in postpartum women. Methods The research, which is cross-sectional, was conducted online between December 2021 and May 2022 on 110 postpartum women who were between 2 and 4 weeks postpartum. Data were collected using a personal data collection form, Fear of Covid-19 Scale (FCV-19S), General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD 7) and Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). In the analysis of the data, minimum-maximum values, percentages and numbers were given, and the relationship between the scale scores was examined with Pearson correlation analysis. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors affecting postpartum depression. Results The average age of women is 29.98 ± 5.62. 13.60% of the participating postpartum women were diagnosed with Covid-19 during their pregnancy, and 69.10% of them were diagnosed with Covid-19 by a relative of the pregnant woman. It was determined that 73.60% of the participants in the research had received the Covid-19 vaccine. The prevalence of postpartum depression was found to be 30.90%. It was determined that 18.20% of the participants suffered from general anxiety. The average score of the fear of Covid-19 scale was determined as 14.27 ± 6.55. Conclusion It was determined that an increase in the GAD 7 and FCV-19S scale scores increased the postpartum depression score.