Suicidal Risk and Depression in Pregnant Women in Times of Pandemic

Abstract

Purpose: Pregnancy is a risk period for the development of mental disorders. About 10% of pregnant women worldwide experience a mental disorder, mainly depression, and this percentage has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of pregnant women. Methods: Three hundred and one pregnant women in the week 21.85 ± 9.9 were recruited through social media and pregnant women forums from September 2020 to December 2020. A multiple-choice questionnaire was administered to evaluate the sociodemographic characteristics of the women, the care provided, and different aspects related to COVID-19. A Beck Depression Inventory was also delivered. Results: Of the pregnant women 23.5% had seen or had considered seeing a mental health professional during pregnancy. Predictive models using multivariate logistic regression found that this fact was associated with an increased risk of depression (OR = 4.22; CI 95% 2.39–7.52; P < 0.001). Among women with moderate-severe depression, it was associated with an increased risk of having suicidal thoughts (OR = 4.99; CI 95% 1.11–27.9; P = 0.044) and age was found to be a protective variable (OR = 0.86; CI 95% 0.72–0.98; P = 0.053). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic represents a major mental health challenge for pregnant women. Despite the decrease in face-to-face visits, there are opportunities for health professionals to identify the existence of psycho-pathological alterations and suicidal ideation by asking the patient if she is seeing or considering seeing a mental health professional. Therefore, it is necessary to develop tools for early identification to ensure correct detection and care.