Psychosocial experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety
Purpose: Whilst the antenatal period is well established as a period of increased vulnerability to mental health difficulties, restrictions resulting from COVID-19 lockdown in the UK are likely to have negatively affected psychosocial outcomes in these women.Materials and Methods: This study aimed t...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/0167482X.2025.2459619 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849326118726795264 |
|---|---|
| author | Semra Worrall Olivia Pike Paul Christiansen Leanne Jackson Leonardo De Pascalis Joanne A. Harrold Victoria Fallon Sergio A. Silverio |
| author_facet | Semra Worrall Olivia Pike Paul Christiansen Leanne Jackson Leonardo De Pascalis Joanne A. Harrold Victoria Fallon Sergio A. Silverio |
| author_sort | Semra Worrall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: Whilst the antenatal period is well established as a period of increased vulnerability to mental health difficulties, restrictions resulting from COVID-19 lockdown in the UK are likely to have negatively affected psychosocial outcomes in these women.Materials and Methods: This study aimed to describe prevalence rates of clinically relevant antenatal anxiety and depression, and explore whether psychosocial changes as a result of the pandemic were predictive of clinically relevant anxiety and depression. Antenatal women (N = 684) completed an online survey of psychosocial measures during the UK government’s initial lockdown restrictions.Results: Descriptive statistics indicate women experienced high levels of anxiety and depression and that changes resulting from restrictions were perceived negatively. Whilst 11.7% of women reported a current, clinical diagnosis of depression, 47.8% reported a score of ≥13 on the EPDS, indicating clinically relevant depression. Similarly, 18.7% of women reported a current, clinical diagnosis of anxiety, but 68.1% scored ≥40 on the STAI, indicating clinically relevant anxiety. After controlling for known demographic risk factors, only psychosocial change because of COVID-19 restrictions predicted clinically relevant anxiety (28%) and depression (27%).Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of considering antenatal women as a high-priority group, and ensuring antenatal care remains accessible and uninterrupted in any future crises. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2ecf5f65e58c4b8f8f1bbc86746a083b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0167-482X 1743-8942 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2ecf5f65e58c4b8f8f1bbc86746a083b2025-08-20T03:48:14ZengTaylor & Francis GroupJournal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology0167-482X1743-89422025-12-0146110.1080/0167482X.2025.2459619Psychosocial experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxietySemra Worrall0Olivia Pike1Paul Christiansen2Leanne Jackson3Leonardo De Pascalis4Joanne A. Harrold5Victoria Fallon6Sergio A. Silverio7Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKPurpose: Whilst the antenatal period is well established as a period of increased vulnerability to mental health difficulties, restrictions resulting from COVID-19 lockdown in the UK are likely to have negatively affected psychosocial outcomes in these women.Materials and Methods: This study aimed to describe prevalence rates of clinically relevant antenatal anxiety and depression, and explore whether psychosocial changes as a result of the pandemic were predictive of clinically relevant anxiety and depression. Antenatal women (N = 684) completed an online survey of psychosocial measures during the UK government’s initial lockdown restrictions.Results: Descriptive statistics indicate women experienced high levels of anxiety and depression and that changes resulting from restrictions were perceived negatively. Whilst 11.7% of women reported a current, clinical diagnosis of depression, 47.8% reported a score of ≥13 on the EPDS, indicating clinically relevant depression. Similarly, 18.7% of women reported a current, clinical diagnosis of anxiety, but 68.1% scored ≥40 on the STAI, indicating clinically relevant anxiety. After controlling for known demographic risk factors, only psychosocial change because of COVID-19 restrictions predicted clinically relevant anxiety (28%) and depression (27%).Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of considering antenatal women as a high-priority group, and ensuring antenatal care remains accessible and uninterrupted in any future crises.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/0167482X.2025.2459619Maternal mental healthprenatal anxietyprenatal depressionpsychosocial experiencespandemic |
| spellingShingle | Semra Worrall Olivia Pike Paul Christiansen Leanne Jackson Leonardo De Pascalis Joanne A. Harrold Victoria Fallon Sergio A. Silverio Psychosocial experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal mental health prenatal anxiety prenatal depression psychosocial experiences pandemic |
| title | Psychosocial experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety |
| title_full | Psychosocial experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety |
| title_fullStr | Psychosocial experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychosocial experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety |
| title_short | Psychosocial experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK-wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety |
| title_sort | psychosocial experiences of pregnant women during the covid 19 pandemic a uk wide study of prevalence rates and risk factors for clinically relevant depression and anxiety |
| topic | Maternal mental health prenatal anxiety prenatal depression psychosocial experiences pandemic |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/0167482X.2025.2459619 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT semraworrall psychosocialexperiencesofpregnantwomenduringthecovid19pandemicaukwidestudyofprevalenceratesandriskfactorsforclinicallyrelevantdepressionandanxiety AT oliviapike psychosocialexperiencesofpregnantwomenduringthecovid19pandemicaukwidestudyofprevalenceratesandriskfactorsforclinicallyrelevantdepressionandanxiety AT paulchristiansen psychosocialexperiencesofpregnantwomenduringthecovid19pandemicaukwidestudyofprevalenceratesandriskfactorsforclinicallyrelevantdepressionandanxiety AT leannejackson psychosocialexperiencesofpregnantwomenduringthecovid19pandemicaukwidestudyofprevalenceratesandriskfactorsforclinicallyrelevantdepressionandanxiety AT leonardodepascalis psychosocialexperiencesofpregnantwomenduringthecovid19pandemicaukwidestudyofprevalenceratesandriskfactorsforclinicallyrelevantdepressionandanxiety AT joanneaharrold psychosocialexperiencesofpregnantwomenduringthecovid19pandemicaukwidestudyofprevalenceratesandriskfactorsforclinicallyrelevantdepressionandanxiety AT victoriafallon psychosocialexperiencesofpregnantwomenduringthecovid19pandemicaukwidestudyofprevalenceratesandriskfactorsforclinicallyrelevantdepressionandanxiety AT sergioasilverio psychosocialexperiencesofpregnantwomenduringthecovid19pandemicaukwidestudyofprevalenceratesandriskfactorsforclinicallyrelevantdepressionandanxiety |