• anxiety
• pregnancy
• prenatal
• review
• risk factors
• women

Fear of childbirth (FoC) is a widespread issue that impacts the health and well-being of mothers and newborns. However, there is inconsistency regarding the prevalence of FoC in the and there is limited research on the prevalence of FoC among Australian pregnant women.

To investigate the prevalence of FoC, its risk factors and birth outcomes in Australian multiparous women.

In this prospective cohort quantitative study, 212 multiparous women were recruited from antenatal clinics at Westmead Hospital in western Sydney from 2019 to 2022. Pregnant women who attended antenatal visits and met the inclusion criteria signed the consent forms and completed several online questionnaires at baseline. After they gave birth, their birth outcomes were collected from the hospital’s medical record database. The data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics, χ² test, independent samples t-test, and multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Out of 212 participants, 24% experienced a high level of FoC and 7% experienced severe FoC. The χ² test results revealed that a family income of ≤ $100000, no alcohol intake during pregnancy, pre-existing health problems, previous caesarean section (emergency or planned), and previous neutral/traumatic childbirth experiences were significantly associated with higher levels of FoC (P < 0.05). Other risk factors included being moderately to very worried and fearful about the upcoming birth, having severe to extremely severe anxiety throughout pregnancy, and expressing low relationship satisfaction. According to multivariable logistic regression, the odds of a high level of FoC were higher in women with anxiety, a history of traumatic childbirth experience, a history of sexual assault during childhood, pre-existing health problems, and lower relationship satisfaction (P < 0.05).

High-severe levels of FoC are experienced by pregnant multiparous women and are affected by several demographic factors. However, due to the small sample size in the present study, further studies with larger sample sizes are required to draw a firm conclusion on the prevalence of severe FoC among multiparous women and its associated risk factors and birth outcomes.

• Antenatal
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fear of childbirth
• Mental health
• Pregnancy
• Prevalence
• Stress

• Prenatal depression and anxiety

• Humans
• Female
• Pregnancy
• Adult
• Risk Factors
• China/epidemiology
• Pregnancy Complications/epidemiology
• Pregnancy Complications/psychology
• Prospective Studies
• Anxiety/epidemiology
• Depression/epidemiology
• Birth Cohort
• Young Adult
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Surveys and Questionnaires

• experiential avoidance
• internalizing symptoms
• latent factors
• postpartum period
• pregnancy
• risk factors

• Female
• Pregnancy
• Humans
• Anxiety Disorders/psychology
• Anxiety/psychology
• Phobic Disorders
• Postpartum Period/psychology
• Risk Factors

• National Center For Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Gestational diabetes
• Insulin resistance
• Perinatal period
• Well-being

• Humans
• Pregnancy
• Female
• Diabetes, Gestational
• Insulin Resistance
• Mental Health
• Postpartum Period
• Mothers
• Insulin
• Blood Glucose/metabolism

• anxiety
• depression
• immigrant
• mental health
• pregnant

• Child
• Female
• Pregnancy
• Humans
• Young Adult
• Adult
• Pregnant People/psychology
• Depression/epidemiology
• Depression/diagnosis
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Prevalence
• Turkey
• Risk Factors
• Anxiety/psychology
• Emigrants and Immigrants
• Gravidity

• Nigeria
• Psychiatric morbidity
• non-pregnant
• pregnant
• women

• Pregnancy
• Infant, Newborn
• Female
• Humans
• Developing Countries
• Prevalence
• Anxiety Disorders/epidemiology
• Anxiety
• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology

• Executive function
• Perinatal depressive symptoms
• Sleep disturbance
• Stroop task

• Female
• Pregnancy
• Humans
• Pregnant Women/psychology
• Depression/complications
• Sleep Quality
• Sleep/physiology
• Depression, Postpartum
• Parturition
• Cognition

• Wenzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau
• Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province

• Depression
• Early detection
• Pregnancy
• Suicide

• Anxiety
• Pregnancy
• Prenatal anxiety screening scale (PASS)
• Risk factors

• Early pregnancy
• early pregnancy unit
• emotions
• pregnancy loss
• qualitative research

Perinatal depression is a major public health problem having serious negative impacts on personal, family, and child developmental outcomes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and its associated factors in working pregnant women. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed on 389 working pregnant women enrolled from four Tunisian public maternity hospitals. Data collection tools were the sociodemographic, obstetric, family relationships, and work environment questionnaire, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The mean score of depression was 27.39 ± 6.97 and 76.1% of women had major depressive symptoms using cutoff points on the CES-D ≥ 23. Family income, diagnosis with a chronic illness, history of depression, and employment categories were associated with major depressive symptoms. In multivariate analyses, family income and work posture were significantly associated with MDD. These results suggest an increased burden of MDD during pregnancy in Tunisian women. Prevention, early detection, and interventions are needed to reduce the prevalence of perinatal depression.

• CES-D
• Pregnancy
• major depressive disorder
• risk factor
• working women

• SES
• antenatal maternal stress
• infant crying
• negative affect

• Female
• Infant
• Humans
• Pregnancy
• Emotional Regulation
• Anxiety/psychology
• Crying/psychology
• Mothers/psychology
• Anxiety Disorders/psychology
• Depression/epidemiology
• Depression/psychology

International research shows marital status impacts the mental health of pregnant women, with prenatal depression and anxiety being higher among non-partnered women. However, there have been few studies examining the relationship between marital status and prenatal mental disorders among Australian women.

This is a population-based retrospective cohort study using linked data from the New South Wales (NSW) Perinatal Data Collection (PDC) and Admitted Patients Data Collection (APDC). The cohort consists of a total of 598,599 pregnant women with 865,349 admissions. Identification of pregnant women for mental disorders was conducted using the 10^th version International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM). A binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the relationship between marital status and prenatal mental disorder after adjusting for confounders.

Of the included pregnant women, 241 (0.04%), 107 (0.02%) and 4359 (0.5%) were diagnosed with depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and self-harm, respectively. Non-partnered pregnant women had a higher likelihood of depressive disorder (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.75; 95% CI: 2.04, 3.70) and anxiety disorder (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI: 2.03, 4.91), compared with partnered women. Furthermore, the likelihood of experiencing self-harm was two times higher among non-partnered pregnant women (AOR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.82, 2.20) than partnered pregnant women.

Non-partnered marital status has a significant positive association with prenatal depressive disorder, anxiety disorder and self-harm. This suggests it would be highly beneficial for maternal health care professionals to screen non-partnered pregnant women for prenatal mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and self-harm.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-022-05045-8.

• Anxiety disorder
• Data linkage
• Depressive disorder
• Marital status
• Pregnancy
• Self-harm

• Antepartum depression
• Anxiety
• Edinburgh postpartum depression scale
• Parenting stress
• Peripartum depression
• Postpartum depression

• Acceptance
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mindfulness
• Monitoring
• Pregnant people

• Anxiety
• Demographic and fertility variables
• Pregnancy
• Religious coping

• Bangladesh
• Depressive symptom
• Northern rural area
• Pregnant
• Sleep quality

• Bangladesh/epidemiology
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Depression/complications
• Depression/epidemiology
• Female
• Humans
• Pregnancy
• Pregnant Women
• Sleep
• Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/complications
• Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/epidemiology
• Sleep Quality

• depression
• ghana
• prenatal depression
• prevalence
• risk factors

• Adult
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Depression/epidemiology
• Ethiopia/epidemiology
• Female
• Ghana/epidemiology
• Hospitals
• Humans
• Hypertension
• Pregnancy
• Pregnant Women
• Prenatal Care
• Prevalence
• Risk Factors

• 2018SK2065 Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology and the Hunan Provincial Key Research and Development Program, China.

Antenatal depression (AD) is common in pregnant women and is associated with adverse outcomes for the mother, fetus, infant and child. The influencing factors of AD among pregnant women have been studied; however, the mechanisms of these factors remain unclear. This study was designed to examine the direct and serial mediating roles of coping styles in the relationship between perceived social support and AD among pregnant women.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1486 pregnant women who registered to give birth at a tertiary hospital. A self-developed questionnaire was administered to obtain sociodemographic and obstetric data. The Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were administered to measure the perceived social support, coping styles, and depressive symptoms of pregnant women, respectively. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was used, and then, the specific relationships among influencing factors were determined through structural equation modelling (SEM).

The prevalence of AD was 24.02%. The average scores of intrafamily support, extrafamily support, positive coping styles, negative coping styles and EPDS reported by pregnant women were 24.16 ± 3.09, 44.52 ± 6.16, 27.34 ± 4.89, 9.79 ± 3.82, and 7.44 ± 3.56, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that pregnant women with a higher level of intrafamily support exhibited a positive coping style and a decreased risk of AD. Compared with extrafamily support, the direct effect (-0.16 vs. -0.10, P < 0.05) and indirect effect of intrafamily support through coping styles (-0.028 vs. -0.027, P < 0.05) on AD were stronger. Two indirect pathways explained 17.46% of the variance in the EPDS scores.

Higher social support decreased the likelihood of AD, not only directly but also through the mediating roles of coping styles. Social support should be strengthened, and positive coping styles should be advocated in every stage of pregnancy. Specifically, intrafamily support should be given more attention for pregnant Chinese women.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-022-04377-9.

• Antenatal depression
• Negative coping styles
• Positive coping styles
• Social support

Antenatal depression is associated with intrauterine growth retardation, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Infants born to mothers with postnatal depression also may suffer from malnutrition and other health problems. Even though there are few single studies conducted so far, a systematic review of these studies is highly important to highlight the effect of antenatal and perinatal depression on adverse birth and infant health outcomes in Africa.

We used the Preferred Report Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) when conducting this study. Databases like CINAHL (EBSCO), MEDLINE (via Ovid and PubMed), PsycINFO, Emcare, Psychiatry Online, and Scopus were searched. In addition, Google Scholar and references from a list of eligible studies were explored. We included good quality observational studies based on Newcastle Ottawa Scale which are published in the English language between 2007 and 2018.  Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed. Meta-analysis with a random effect model was employed to determine the pooled effect sizes with a 95% confidence interval. The review protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018106714).

We found three studies (1511 participants) and 11 studies (22,254 participants) conducted on the effect of antenatal depression on birth outcomes and perinatal depression on adverse infant health outcomes, respectively. The overall risk of having adverse birth outcomes was 2.26 (95% CI: 1.43, 3.58) times higher among pregnant mothers with depression. The risk of preterm birth and low birth weight was 1.77 (95% CI: 1.03, 3.04) and 2.98 (95% CI: 1.60, 5.55) respectively. Similarly, the risk of having adverse infant health outcomes namely malnutrition and febrile illness was 1.61 (95% CI: 1.34, 1.95) times higher among mothers who had perinatal depression.

We have found a significant association between antenatal depression and adverse birth outcomes, low birth weight and preterm birth. Similarly, a significant effect of perinatal depression on adverse infant health outcomes namely, malnutrition, and febrile illnesses was observed. The findings highlight that it is time to integrate mental health services with routine maternal health care services to improve birth outcomes and reduce infant morbidity.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13690-022-00792-8.

The aim of this study was to describe the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the specific impact of a universal SARS-CoV-2 testing programme on obstetric patients and healthcare workers at The Ottawa Hospital.

This was a follow-up survey study of obstetric healthcare workers and then-pregnant patients who participated in a SARS-CoV-2 testing programme conducted in The Ottawa Hospital obstetrical triage units from 19 October to 17 November 2020. Surveys explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the testing programme on participants’ psychological well-being. Responses were collected from April to September 2021. Descriptive summary statistics were calculated for both groups.

During hospitalization for delivery, obstetric patients (n = 143) worried about giving COVID-19 to their new baby (88.11%), catching COVID-19 (83.22%), and giving COVID-19 to their partner (76.22%). Patients felt relief at being tested for COVID-19 during the universal testing programme (24.65%) and at getting their results (28.87%). Patients also believed that universal SARS-CoV-2 testing was a good way to slow COVID-19 spread (79.72%), reduce anxiety (75.52%), and increase relief (76.22%). In addition, patients felt good about participating in research that could help others (91.61%). Among obstetric healthcare workers (n = 94), job satisfaction decreased and job stress increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The universal testing programme led to minor increases in healthcare worker job stress and burden, particularly among nurses, but the majority (85.23%) believed it was a valuable research initiative.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative psychological impact on obstetric patients and healthcare workers. Universal SARS-CoV-2 testing was generally viewed favourably and may serve as an effective strategy for estimating COVID-19 prevalence without adding undue stress onto patients and healthcare workers during the pandemic.

• COVID-19/diagnosis
• COVID-19/epidemiology
• COVID-19 Testing
• Female
• Health Personnel/psychology
• Humans
• Occupational Stress
• Pandemics
• Pregnancy
• SARS-CoV-2

• VR4-172760 CIHR

Pregnancy can be a stressful period for most women and their family members, and the mental wellbeing of pregnant women can face serious challenges. Social support can play a role in improving the psychological well-being of pregnant women by enhancing the stress coping ability and alleviating stressful conditions. The current study aimed to assess the mediating effects of social support in the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms as well as anxiety symptoms during pregnancy among Australian women.

Of the 8,010 women who completed Survey 6 of the 1973–78 Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) cohort in 2012, those who reported being pregnant (n = 493) were included in the current analyses. Antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the 10 item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D-10) scale, and the 9-item Goldberg Anxiety and Depression scale (GADS) respectively. The 19 item-Medical Outcomes Study Social Support index (MOSS) was used to examine social support. A parallel mediation model was used to explore the mediational role of each domain of social support between perceived stress and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms.

The study found that emotional/informational support has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal depressive symptoms (β = 0.371, 95% CI: 0.067, 0.799) and on the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms (β = 0.217, 95% CI: 0.029, 0.462). Affectionate support/positive social interaction and tangible support was found to play no significant mediation role between stress and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Emotional/informational support appears to play a mediating role in the relationship between stress and antenatal depressive as well as between stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms. In order to further protect pregnant women from the effects of stress, policy makers and maternal health professionals are advised to develop community-based social support programs to enhance prenatal psychosocial support and ensure pregnant women have adequate emotional/information support.

Social support is a resource or a means that an individual can use to cope with stressful events and improve psychological wellbeing. It improves emotional and physical well-being and promotes health for a successful pregnancy. However, the relationship between domains of social support and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms remains understudied in Australia. Therefore, our study intended to examine the mediating role of domains of social support in the linkage between stress and depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy among Australian Women.

Data were obtained from Survey 6 of the 1973–78 ALSWH cohort, which was conducted in 2012, and those who reported being pregnant were part of the study (n = 493, aged 34–39 years). Social support provided for a pregnant woman was the outcome variable, assessed using the 19-item Medical Outcomes Study Social Support index (MOS-SSS-19 item). A parallel mediation model was used to explore the mediational role of each domain of social support between perceived stress and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Emotional/informational support plays a mediating role in the relationship between stress and antenatal depressive as well as between stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms. So, to further protect pregnant women from the effect of stress, policymakers and maternal health professionals are advised to develop community-based social support programs.

• Anxiety symptoms
• Depressive symptoms
• Mediation
• Pregnancy
• Social support
• Stress

Birthing people of color are more likely to deliver low birthweight and preterm infants, populations at significant risk of morbidity and mortality. Birthing people of color are also at higher risk for mental health conditions and emergency mental healthcare utilization postpartum. Although this group has been identified as high risk in these contexts, it is not known whether racial and ethnic disparities exist in mental healthcare utilization among birthing people who have delivered preterm.

We sought to determine if racial and ethnic disparities exist in postpartum mental healthcare-associated emergency department visits or hospitalizations for birthing people with preterm infants in a large and diverse population.

This population-based historic cohort study used a sample of Californian live-born infants born between 2011 and 2017 with linked birth certificates and emergency department visit and hospital admission records from the California Statewide Health Planning and Development database. The sample was restricted to preterm infants (<37 weeks’ gestation). Self-reported race and ethnicity groups included Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic White, and non-Hispanic others. Mental health diagnoses were identified from the International Classification of Diseases Ninth and Tenth revision codes recorded in emergency department and hospital discharge records. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between mental health-related emergency department visits and rehospitalizations by race or ethnicity compared with non-Hispanic White birthing people and controlling for the following characteristics and health condition covariates: age, parity, previous preterm birth, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, hypertension, diabetes, previous mental health diagnosis, and prenatal care.

Of 204,539 birthing people who delivered preterm infants in California, 1982 visited the emergency department and 836 were hospitalized in the first year after preterm birth for a mental health-related illness. Black birthing people were more likely to have a mental health-related emergency department visit and hospitalization (risk ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–2.0 and risk ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–2.3, respectively) within the first postpartum year than White birthing people. Hispanic and Asian birthing people were less likely to have mental health-related emergency department visits (adjusted risk ratio, 0.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.7–0.8 and adjusted risk ratio, 0.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.2–0.3, respectively) and hospitalizations (adjusted risk ratio, 0.6; 95% confidence interval, 0.5–0.7 and adjusted risk ratio, 0.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.1–0.3, respectively). When controlling for birthing people with a previous mental health diagnosis and those without, the disparities remained the same.

Racial and ethnic disparities exist in emergency mental healthcare escalation among birthing people who have delivered preterm infants. Our findings highlight a need for further investigation into disparate mental health conditions, exacerbations, access to care, and targeted hospital and legislative policies to prevent emergency mental healthcare escalation and reduce disparities.

• emergency department
• neonatal intensive care unit
• parental leave
• postpartum depression
• prematurity
• preterm hospitalization
• rehospitalizations
• structural racism

• Antepartum women
• Anxiety
• Comorbidity
• Depression
• Pregnancy

• anxiety symptoms
• depressive symptoms
• personality
• pregnant women
• socioeconomic status (SES)

Antenatal depression and antenatal anxiety adversely affect several obstetric and foetal outcomes, and increase the rate of postnatal mental illness. Thus, to tackle these challenges the need for social support during pregnancy is vital. However, an extensive literature search failed to show a published study on the relationship between domains of social support and antenatal depressive, as well as antenatal anxiety symptoms in Australia. This study examined the association between domains of social support and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms among Australian women.

The current study used data obtained from the 1973–78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH), focusing upon women who reported being pregnant (n = 493). Depression and anxiety were assessed using the 10 item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D-10) scale, and the 9-item Goldberg Anxiety and Depression scale (GADS) respectively. The 19 item-Medical Outcomes Study Social Support index (MOSS) was used to assess social support. A logistic regression model was used to examine the associations between domains of social support and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms after adjusting for potential confounders.

The current study found 24.7 and 20.9% of pregnant women screened positive for depressive and anxiety symptoms respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, our study found that the odds of antenatal depressive symptoms was about four and threefold higher among pregnant women who reported low emotional/informational support (AOR = 4.75; 95% CI: 1.45, 15.66; p = 0.010) and low social support (overall support) (AOR = 3.26; 95%CI: 1.05, 10.10, p = 0.040) respectively compared with their counterpart. In addition, the odds of antenatal anxiety symptoms was seven times higher among pregnant women who reported low affectionate support/positive social interaction (AOR = 7.43; 95%CI: 1.75, 31.55; p = 0.006).

A considerable proportion of pregnant Australian women had depressive symptoms and/or anxiety symptoms, which poses serious health concerns. Low emotional/informational support and low affectionate support/positive social interaction have a significant association with antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms respectively. As such, targeted screening of expectant women for social support is essential.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-021-04188-4.

• Affectionate support
• Anxiety symptoms
• Depressive symptoms
• Emotional support
• Pregnancy
• Social support
• Tangible support
• Women

• cancer
• factor analysis
• nursing
• patient needs
• reliability validity

• Greenness
• Maternal morbidity
• Perceived stress
• Perinatal mental health
• Tree canopy cover

• Humans
• Pregnancy
• Pregnant Women/psychology
• Stress, Psychological/epidemiology
• Stress, Psychological/prevention & control
• Trees
• Female

• R01 NR014784 NINR NIH HHS

Thyroid dysfunction (overt and subclinical) has been consistently linked to pregnancy adversity and abnormal fetal growth and development. Mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are frequently diagnosed during pregnancy and at postpartum, and emerging evidence suggests association with impaired offspring neurodevelopment and growth. This study aimed to examine potential associations between thyroid function and mood symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum.

This is a prospective study measuring thyroid hormones and assessing mood symptoms by employing specific questionnaires in the same cohort of 93 healthy pregnant women at the 24th (2nd trimester) and 36th (3rd trimester) gestational weeks and at the 1st postpartum week.

Serum thyroid hormones, TSH, anti-TPO, and anti-Tg antibodies were measured at the 24th (2nd trimester) and 36th (3rd trimester) gestational weeks and at the 1st postpartum week. Specific validated questionnaires were employed at the same time-points to assess separately symptoms of anxiety [Generalized Anxiety Disorder Inventory (GADI), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), STAI-State Anxiety inventory (STAI-S), STAI-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)], depression [Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Stein’s Blues Scale (BLUES), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)], and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) [Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive scale (Y-BOCS)].

At the 2nd trimester, GADI score correlated negatively with FT3 (p < 0.010, r = −0.545) and positively with TSH (p < 0.050, r = 0.837) concentrations; GADI, PSWQ, EPDS and Y-BOCS scores correlated negatively with FT4 concentrations (p < 0.010, r = −0.768; p < 0.010, r = −0.384; p < 0.050, r = −0.364; p < 0.010, r = −0.544, respectively). At the 3rd trimester, BLUES score correlated positively with rT3 concentrations (p = 0.00, r = 0.89); GADI, EPDS, and Y-BOCS scores correlated negatively with FT4 concentrations (p = 0.001, r = − 0.468; p = 0.036, r = −0.39; p = 0.001, r = −0.625, respectively); GADI, STAI-S, and Y-BOCS scores correlated positively with TSH concentrations (p = 0.015, r = 0.435; p = 0.024, r = 0.409 p = 0.041, r = 0.389, respectively). At postpartum, PSWQ, STAI-T, EPDS, and BDI scores correlated positively with rT3 concentrations (p = 0.024, r = 0.478; p = 0.014, r = 0.527; p = 0.046, r = 0.44; p = 0.021, r = 0.556, respectively, Y-BOCS score correlated positively with TSH (p = 0.045, r = 0.43), and BLUES score correlated positively with anti-TPO antibody concentrations (p = 0.070, r = 0.586).

The reported findings demonstrate positive associations between low-normal thyroid function at the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy and postpartum with anxiety, depression, and OCD scores.

• anxiety
• depression
• obsessive—compulsive disorder
• postpartum
• pregnancy
• psychometrics
• thyroid hormone

• antidepressant
• craniofacial defects
• depression
• pregnancy
• stem cells

• Perceived stress
• Prenatal
• Probable depression
• Resilience
• Social support
• Suriname

• Adult
• Caribbean Region
• Depression/epidemiology
• Female
• Humans
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Complications/epidemiology
• Pregnancy Complications/psychology
• Pregnancy Trimester, Third
• Pregnant Women/psychology
• Prospective Studies
• Stress, Psychological/complications
• Stress, Psychological/epidemiology
• Stress, Psychological/psychology
• Suriname/epidemiology
• Young Adult

• U01 TW010087 FIC NIH HHS
• U2R TW010104 FIC NIH HHS
• U2RTW010104 FIC NIH HHS
• Fogarty International Center

• anxiety
• depression
• pregnancy
• sleep
• stress

• Ghana
• anxiety
• depression
• pregnancy
• suicidal behaviors

• Anxiety
• Corona Virus Disease 2019
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Maternal health

COVID-19 caused some worries among pregnant women. Worries during pregnancy can affect women’s well-being. We investigated worry and well-being and associated factors among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 484 pregnant women using an online questionnaire. Sampling was performed in a period between May 5 and Aug 5, 2020. Inclusion criteria were having a single healthy fetus and having no significant psychological disorder. We collected the data using the Persian versions of the World Health Organization’s Well-Being Index (WHO-5 Well-Being Index) and the Cambridge Worry Scale. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify predictors of women’s worry and well-being.

The mean total scores of the WHO-5 Well-Being Index and the percentage of WHO-5 score < 50 were 64.9 ± 29.0 and 24.4%, respectively. Predictors of women’s worry are the increased level of fear of COVID-19 (OR = 6.40, p <  0.001), a low family income (OR = 3.41, p <  0.001), employment status (OR = 1.86, p = 0.019), nulliparity (OR = 1.68, p = 0.024), having a COVID-19 infected person among relatives (OR = 2.45, p = 0.036), having a history of abortion (OR = 1.86, p = 0.012), having participated in the study after the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak (OR = 2.328, p = 0.003), and women’s age < 30 year (OR = 2.11, p = 0.002). Predictors of low level of well-being in pregnant women are worry about their own health and relationships (OR = 1.789, p = .017), worry about fetus health (OR = 1.946, p = 0.009), and having at least one infected person with COVID-19 among relatives (OR = 2.135, p = 0.036).

The percentage of women experiencing a low well-being state was relatively high. This result is worthy of attention by health care providers and policy makers. Providing care and support to pregnant women should have high priority during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-021-03548-4.

• Anxiety
• COVID-19
• Fear
• Pregnancy
• Well-being
• Women
• Worry

• Pregnant women
• nursing
• psychosocial health
• social support

• antidepressive agents
• drug therapy
• infant, newborn
• neonatal abstinence syndrome
• pharmacogenetics
• pregnancy

• Data-driven
• Heterogeneity
• Life history
• Perinatal depression
• Personality
• Trait mindfulness

• Cohort Studies
• Depression
• Depression, Postpartum/epidemiology
• Depressive Disorder/epidemiology
• Female
• Humans
• Mindfulness
• Personality
• Pregnancy

• Anxiety symptoms
• Biomarkers
• Cortisol
• Depressive symptoms
• Inflammation
• Kynurenine
• Postpartum
• Pregnancy
• Tryptophan

Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 FA) status may be associated with mood disorders. Here, we evaluated the potential association between antenatal depression/anxiety and n-3/n-6 FA in (a) maternal erythrocytes and (b) human milk. In addition, we explored associations between n-3/n-6 FA in erythrocytes and in human milk and postpartum depression, while controlling for antenatal depression. Twenty-seven pregnant women diagnosed with a current major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 9), anxiety disorder (AD; n = 10) or a mixed anxiety-depression disorder (MADD; n = 8), and 40 healthy controls were included. n-3/n-6 FA were determined in maternal erythrocytes in gestational week 32 and in human milk in postpartum week 1. In the first week postpartum, the Edinburgh-Postnatal-Depression-Questionnaire was used to assess postpartum depression. Results show that women with M(A)DD had significantly lower erythrocyte levels of total n-3 FA, EPA, DHA and DGLA, and significantly higher n-6 DPA, and n-6:n-3, AA:EPA and n-6 DPA:DHA ratios compared to healthy controls. No significant associations between antenatal depression or anxiety and n-3/n-6 FA in human milk were found. After controlling for antenatal mental health, n-3/n-6 FA in maternal erythrocytes or in human milk were not significantly associated with postpartum depression. In conclusion, antenatal depression, alone or with an anxiety disorder, was associated with lower n-3 FA levels and higher n-6:n-3 FA ratios in maternal erythrocytes during gestation. This study provides some insights into the associations between n-3/n-6 FA levels during pregnancy and lactation and perinatal mental health.

• anxiety
• depression
• lactation
• polyunsaturated fatty acids
• pregnancy

• Demographic factors
• maternal antenatal anxiety
• screening
• socioeconomic factors

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Anxiety/epidemiology
• Female
• Humans
• Italy/epidemiology
• Mothers/psychology
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Complications/epidemiology
• Pregnant Women/psychology
• Prevalence
• Social Class
• Socioeconomic Factors
• Young Adult