From lockdown to cradle

Navigating the psychological challenges of childbirth during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy– Evidence from a 3-year analysis

Bibliographic Data

ID21628613
AuthorsValentina Lucia La Rosa (0000-0002-6619-6777, University of Catania, corresponding author), Silvia Oddo-Sommerfeld (0000-0001-8812-2544, Goethe University Frankfurt), Karin Schermelleh-Engel (0000-0002-6341-0803, Goethe University Frankfurt), Elena Commodari (0000-0002-7647-8743, University of Catania)
Year2024
Volume43
Issue46
Pages35616-35629
Publication date2024-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCurrent Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1046-1310 • E-ISSN: 1936-4733
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s12144-024-06603-3
OpenAlexW4402068600
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited47

This cross-sectional study investigated the mental health of Italian women who gave birth during the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focused on the impact of the partner’s presence during childbirth, the time point of birth in relation to pandemic waves, hospital restrictions, and individual attitudes regarding the pandemic. In addition, the study aimed to determine potential risk or protective factors for postpartum depression. 1,636 Italian women who gave birth between 2020 and 2022 in a hospital-restricted setting were surveyed anonymously online. Standardized questionnaires were used to evaluate depression, post-traumatic stress, and psychological well-being. Women who gave birth in 2020 had the highest percentage of unaccompanied births and higher levels of depression and fear of COVID-19. Women who gave birth alone reported higher depression and post-traumatic stress and lower psychological well-being. Furthermore, they were more frightened by COVID-19 and less in agreement with pandemic restrictions than women who gave birth with their partner present. The main risk factors for postpartum depression were childbirth in 2020, high COVID-19 anxiety, discomfort with pandemic restrictions, and the partner’s absence during birth. Protective factors were the partner’s presence during childbirth and satisfaction with the partner relationship. This study emphasizes the importance of targeted support to women who give birth during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors, particularly by strengthening the partner’s presence. Future research should focus on children born during these tumultuous periods, assessing potential impacts on their developmental trajectories and relationships with primary caregivers

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Childbirth · Pandemic · Pregnancy · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Medicine · Psychology · Virology

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