ArticleJournal of affective disorders2022
Rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the perinatal period during the COVID-19 pandemic: Comparisons between countries and with pre-pandemic data.
Article in Journal of affective disorders, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 65 citations in OpenAlex.
- The prevalence of mental health-related multimorbidity during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Pregnancy with multiple high-risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of global health · 2025Pooled it
- Global prevalence of perinatal depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: An umbrella review and meta-analytic synthesis.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2024Pooled it
- Prevalence of Perinatal Anxiety and Related Disorders in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JAMA network open · 2023Pooled it
- The impact of ingestion of Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 on perinatal anxiety and depressive symptoms: a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Training Reduces Early Maternal Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Women Undergoing Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2024Trial
- Article
- Longitudinal links between prenatal maternal depression and anxiety symptoms and infant temperament: The roles of postnatal symptoms and perceived partner support.Infant mental health journal · 2026Article
- A qualitative investigation of stakeholders' perceptions of social prescribing for families with infants through the lens of a creative play on prescription programme for 0-2-year-olds and their carers.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- The impact of COVID-19 on women's mental health and coping during pregnancy and postpartum.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Risk-Stratified Screening for Perinatal Depression and Anxiety: Integrating Sexual Function, Self-Esteem, and Psychosocial Context.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Postpartum Mental Health Problems in the Mothers of Very, Moderately and Late Preterm Infants During and After COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Comparison Study and Possible Risk Factors.Depression and anxiety · 2026Article
- Anxiety in mothers of children with COVID-19 based on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.Revista brasileira de enfermagem · 2026Article
- Impact of Adverse Pregnancy History and Demographics on Antenatal Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study of 897 Women.International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- Distinct effects of general psychological distress and COVID-19-specific fear during pregnancy on gestational age and infant birth weight.Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Article
- Assessment of the Prevalence of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms, Life Satisfaction and Quality of Life Among Women in the Maternity Ward with the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- The association between prenatal maternal anxiety, infant brain volumes, and temperament during the COVID-19 pandemic.Translational psychiatry · 2025Article
- Blood transcriptomic signatures associated with depression, or the risk for depression, in pregnant women from the Psychiatry Research And Motherhood - Depression (PRAM-D) study.Translational psychiatry · 2025Article
- A socially prescribed creative play intervention for new parents: investigating post traumatic stress around birth and changes in postnatal depression and reflective function.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 11 institutions in 9 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic was a significant threat to perinatal mental health. This study examined differences in clinically significant depression, anxiety, and co-morbid symptoms among pregnant and postpartum women across several countries and compared prevalence of perinatal depression and anxiety before and during the pandemic in each participating country.
methodsParticipants were 3326 pregnant and 3939 postpartum women (up to six months postpartum) living in Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. An online survey was completed between June 7th and October 31st 2020, and included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7). The pre-pandemic studies were identified through literature review.
resultsPrevalence of clinically significant depression (EPDS≥13), anxiety (GAD-7 ≥ 10), and co-morbid (EPDS≥13 and GAD-7 ≥ 10) symptoms was 26.7 %, 20 % and 15.2 %, in pregnant women, and 32.7 %, 26.6 % and 20.3 %, in postpartum women, respectively. Significant between-country differences were found in all mental health indicators in both perinatal periods. Higher levels of symptoms were observed during (versus before) the pandemic, especially among postpartum women. LIMITATIONS: Participants were mostly highly educated and cohabiting with a partner. The online nature of the survey may have limited the participation of women from vulnerable socio-economically backgrounds.
conclusionsOur findings expand previous literature on the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal mental health, by highlighting that this may be influenced by country of residence. Mental health care policies and interventions should consider the unique needs of perinatal women in different parts of the world.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.