1. Objectifs

Intentions :
The aim of the study is to evaluate «to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic provoked an increase of prenatal psychological distress in pregnant women, as measured by two domains of symptoms: […] depressive and anxiety symptoms (ie, high prenatal distress, high negative affectivity, low positive affectivity) and […] trauma-related symptoms (ie, dissociation and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]).» (p. 849)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«A first cohort of pregnant women was recruited into a longitudinal study in prenatal clinics before the COVID-19 pandemic, from April 2018 to 1 March 2020, through an invitation to participate in research on early life experiences and parenthood. A second cohort was recruited during the active COVID-19 pandemic from 2 April to 13 April 2020 through social media (Facebook and Instagram) and advertisements in prenatal clinics. All participants were volunteers from the Province of Quebec, Canada […].» (p. 849)

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

The study «revealed differences with small to large ES [effect size] between the pre-COVID-19 and the COVID-19 cohorts on all psychiatric symptoms. More specifically, during the pandemic, pregnant women would mainly exhibit an upsurge of depressive and anxiety symptoms (defined as high psychological distress, high negative affectivity, and low positive affectivity) along with some symptoms of dissociation and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, post-hoc analyses revealed that only the clusters of PTSD symptoms overlapping with anxiety and depression (ie, negative mood and cognitions; alterations in reactivity and arousal), and not symptoms that are more specific to PTSD (ie, intrusion symptoms and avoidance of trauma-related stimuli), increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remarkably, also, a history of a psychiatric disorder before the pandemic, younger age, lower household income, and lower education were all associated with higher maternal psychological distress.» (p. 853)