Stress, Anxiety, and Depression among Pregnant Women during COVID-19: Systematic review-based study

Abstract

The aim of this review-based study was to investigate the relevant reviews of literature on stress, anxiety and depression among pregnant women during COVID-19. This study did not perform meta-analysis. Pregnancy is a huge transition for many women, and it may contribute to increased stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in the pandemic time. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) pandemic is anticipated to expect this vulnerability and increase the rates of depression and anxiety among pregnant women. This looks at the available literature on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 an epidemic affecting pregnant women. The following library databases are used to conduct the literature search using the key terms relating to pregnancy, viz, stress, anxiety and depression: Springer, Taylor and Francis, PubMed, and Biomedical central pregnancy and childbirth (BMC). A total of 124 articles were found in the initial search. Irrelevant papers without full texts available were removed. Finally, 36 full texts of possibly pertinent studies were assessed for eligibility and were independently screened by both authors to reduce the selection bias. According to the evidence, it is critical to provide proper psychological assistance to pregnant women during an emergency in order to maintain their mental health and reduce the hazards of long-term impacts on child development (Ahmad &Vismara, 2021). Pregnant women experienced prenatal anxiety during COVID-19 which is highly than the prevalence before the pandemic. Keywords: Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Pregnant women, COVID-19