Attachment Style, Pregnancy-Related Internet Use And Mental Health Of Primiparous Pregnant Women During COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim: To explore the relationship between pregnancy-related Internet use during pregnancy and attachment style, social support, anxio-depressive symptoms and well-being during COVID- 19 pandemic. Methods: 99 pregnant women, recruited online and through perinatal professionals, completed an online questionnaire assessing attachment style, pregnancy-related Internet use, anxio-depressive symptoms, social support, and well-being in COVID-19 pandemic context. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between Internet use and pregnant women attachment styles. Results: Insecure, preoccupied, and fearful attachment styles were predictive of Internet use in case of negative emotions. The relationship between preoccupied attachment and Internet use in case of negative emotion was mediated by anxiety. Preoccupied, fearful and dismissing attachment styles were predictive of Internet use for information seeking. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased Internet use during pregnancy, particularly for information seeking and in case of negative emotions. The link between fearful and preoccupied attachment styles was mediated by well-being in the pandemic context. Conclusions: This study showed a link between attachment style, anxiety, well-being in COVID-19 pandemic context and Internet use during pregnancy. Perinatal professionals, by taking an interest on digital education and participating in the development of quality online resources, could prevent misinformation and reduce anxiety symptoms of insecure pregnant women.