Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Pregnant and Puerperal Women: A Systematic Review

  1. Leticia Genova Vieira
  2. Emerson Lucas Junior Silva Camargo
  3. Guilherme Schneider
  4. Gabrielly Pereira Rocatti da Silva
  5. Micaella Thomazini
  6. Matheus Arantes Possani
  7. Matheus Rozário Matioli
  8. Aline Raquel de Sousa Ibiapina

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Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused negative impacts on the physical and mental health of the population worldwide. Pregnant and puerperal women comprise the population most vulnerable to impacts on mental health.

Objective:

To synthesize the scientific evidence on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant and puerperal women.

Methods:

This systematic review focused on answering the question “what is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant and puerperal women?” In order to perform the search of the studies, we used combinations of keywords: pregnant, puerperal, prenatal, perinatal, mental health, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 . We identified 132 studies from the databases and 18 studies from preprints. In total, we elected 14 studies and another four studies by manual search, making up a total of 18 studies, to compose the final sample of this review.

Results:

Anxiety and depression were the main outcomes found, being shown in 15 and 11 studies, respectively. Other outcomes found in more than one study were: concerns related to several factors, loneliness, stress, and fear.

Conclusion:

From this review, we can infer that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of pregnant and puerperal women, with depression and anxiety being the most frequent changes. The social detachment, the media pressure, the fear of contracting the infection, the economic scenario, and the rupture of family rituals are shown as intensifying factors of psychological distress, thus causing changes in the mental health of these women.

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  1. Version published to 10.2174/1874434602115010388
  2. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2020.08.17.20176560: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board StatementIRB: As this study used articles of public and free access, indexed in the electronic databases, the submission process in the Research Ethics Committee (CEP), according to the Resolution of the National Health Council (CNS
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variableThe guiding question of this review “What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant and puerperal women?

    Table 2: Resources

    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    The bibliographical survey was held during the month of July 2020, taking place in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE via PubMed portal of the US National Library of Medicine, Web of Science (WoS)
    PubMed
    suggested: (PubMed, RRID:SCR_004846)
    For the MEDLINE, WoS, EMBASE, SCOPUS, APA PsycNet databases and for the PsyArXiv preprint database, we used the following combination of keywords and Boolean operators: (pregnan* OR puerper* OR prenatal OR perinatal) AND “mental health”AND (COVID-19 OR SARS-CoV-2).
    MEDLINE
    suggested: (MEDLINE, RRID:SCR_002185)
    EMBASE
    suggested: (EMBASE, RRID:SCR_001650)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:
    Some limitations should be considered when interpreting the results of this systematic review. We noted a heterogeneity in the studies, the use of different instruments for data collection and distinct follow-up times.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  3. Version published to 10.1101/2020.08.17.20176560v1 on medRxiv