Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Pregnant Women During the Spread of COVID 19 Virus in Jordan

Hala Abdel Jawad, Mohammad Suliman, Khetam ALAwamreh, Asem Abdalrahim, Nahla ALAli, Mean Aljezawi, Mohammed AlBashtawy, Abdullah Alkhawaldeh

Abstract


Abstract

Background: The COVID‑19 infection showed serious psychological influences on pregnant women’s mental health that required psychological evaluation and intervention to overcome the negative consequences developed during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The main goal of the present study was to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress among pregnant women during the spread of the COVID‑19 pandemic in Jordan. Materials and Methods: This cross‑sectional correlation study was carried out among pregnant women in Jordan. From April to June 2022, data were collected from three hospitals in Jordan (two public and one private). The Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 items (DASS‑21) was used to collect the data. Data were collected from 355 participants and then analyzed. Results: During the COVID‑19 pandemic, pregnant women experienced mild levels of stress (mean (SD) =14.43, 4.46) and anxiety (mean (SD) =9.06, 4.60), with no depression (mean (SD) = 8.12, 4.04). Jordanian women had lower stress levels (mean (SD) =13.07, 4.49) compared to non‑Jordanian women (mean (SD) =15.15, 4.32) (t = 5.26, p < .05). Employed women (mean (SD) = 15.74, 4.39) had higher stress levels than non‑employed women (mean (SD) =12.76, 4.73) (t = 3.35, p < .05). Women with a bachelor’s degree or higher (mean (SD) =15.64, 4.44) also experienced more stress than those with less education (mean (SD) =12.96, 4.20) (t = 2.63, p < .05). No statistically significant differences in stress levels were found based on marital status or pregnancy stage (p > .05). Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of integrating targeted antenatal support for pregnant women during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Elevated stress levels emphasize the need for proactive measures to prevent maternal complications. Practical steps to address these challenges are crucial, promoting the well‑being of expectant mothers and enhancing the resilience of maternal healthcare systems.

 


Keywords


Anxiety disorder, COVID‑19, mental health, pandemic, pregnant women, psychological stress

Full Text:

PDF

References


Tikka SK, Kaur S, Bhati P, Tikka DL, Mehta KS. Anxiety among pregnant women during the COVID 19 pandemic in India: A multicentric study. Asian J Psychiatr 2021;66:102880.

Ayaz R, Hocaoğlu M, Günay T, Yardımcı OD, Turgut A, Karateke A Anxiety and depression symptoms in the same pregnant women before and during the COVID 19 pandemic. J Perinat Med 2020;48:965 70.

Davis EP, Narayan AJ. Pregnancy is a period of risk, adaptation, and resilience for mothers and infants. Dev Psychopathol 2020;32:1625 39.

Saccone G, Florio A, Aiello F, Venturella R, De Angelis MC, Locci M. Psychological impact of coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020;223:293 5.

Glover V. Prenatal stress and its effects on the fetus and the child: Possible underlying biological mechanisms. In: Perinatal Programming of Neurodevelopment. Springer; 2015. p. 269 283.

Ali AM, Ahmed AH, Sharaf AE, Kawakami N, Abdeldayem SM, Green J. The Arabic version of the depression anxiety stress scale 21: Cumulative scaling and discriminant validation testing. Asian J Psychiatr 2017;30:56 8.

Lovibond SH, Lovibond PF. Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. 2nd ed. Sydney, N.S.W.: Psychology Foundation of Australia; 1995.

Effati Daryani F, Zarei S, Mohammadi A, Hemmati E, Yngyknd SG, Mirghafourvand M. Depression, stress, anxiety and their predictors in Iranian pregnant women during the outbreak of COVID 19. BMC Psychol 2020;8:99.

Polit DF, Beck CT. Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2017.

Hessami K, Romanelli C, Chiurazzi M, Cozzolino M. COVID 19 pandemic and maternal mental health: A systematic review and meta analysis. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2022;35:4014 21.

Ahmad M, Vismara L. The psychological impact of COVID 19 pandemic on women’s mental health during pregnancy: A rapid evidence review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021;18:7112.

Yan H, Ding Y, Guo W. Mental health of pregnant and postpartum women during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A systematic review and meta analysis. Front Psychol 2020;11:617001.

Al Ajlouni YA, Alghazo OM, Al Hassan AA, Al Shorman AS, Khader YS. Anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with poor sleep health during a period of COVID 19 induced nationwide lockdown: A cross sectional analysis of adults in Jordan. BMJ Open 2020;10:e041995.

Muhaidat N, Fram KI, Carson M, Alzyoud S, Mabrouk M. Pregnancy during COVID 19 outbreak: The impact of lockdown in a middle income country on antenatal healthcare and wellbeing. Int J Womens Health 2020;12:1065.

Lin W, Wu B, Chen B, Zhong C, Huang W, Yuan S, et al. Associations of COVID 19 related experiences with maternal anxiety and depression: Implications for mental health management of pregnant women in the post pandemic era. Psychiatr Res 2021;304:114115.

Fan S, Guan J, Cao L, Wang M, Zhao H, Chen L. Psychological effects caused by COVID 19 pandemic on pregnant women: A systematic review with meta analysis. Asian J Psychiatr 2021;56:102533.

Effati Daryani F, Zarei S, Mohammadi A, Hemmati E, Yngyknd SG, Mirghafourvand M. Depression, stress, anxiety and their predictors in Iranian pregnant women during the outbreak of COVID 19. BMC Psychol 2020;8:1 10.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.