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Background and objectives The appearance of a highly contagious disease forced the confinement of the population in almost all parts of the world, causing an increase in psychological problems, with pregnant women being a particularly vulnerable group to suffer negative consequences. The aim of this research was to check which confinement or psychological stress variables are related to the increase of anxious and depressive symptoms in pregnant women, as a consequence of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19. Materials and methods The sample was composed of 131 pregnant women who experienced the confinement imposed by the Government of Spain on March 14, 2020. Sociodemographic, obstetric, confinement related and psychological variables were collected. Results Perceived stress, pregnancy-specific stress, as well as insomnia are predictive variables in most anxious (obsessions and compulsions, anxiety and phobic anxiety) and depressive symptoms related to COVID-19. Conclusions It is important to focus future psychological interventions in this population on stress control and sleep monitoring, since these variables influence the increase of anxiety and depression.

Antecedentes y objetivos La aparición de una enfermedad altamente contagiosa obligó a confinar a la población en casi todo el mundo, ocasionando el aumento de problemática psicológica, siendo las mujeres embarazadas un grupo especialmente vulnerable a sufrir consecuencias negativas. El objetivo de esta investigación fue comprobar qué variables de confinamiento o estrés psicológico están relacionadas con el aumento de la sintomatología ansiosa y depresiva en mujeres embarazadas, como consecuencia de la pandemia ocasionada por la COVID-19. Materiales y métodos La muestra estuvo compuesta por 131 mujeres embarazadas que vivieron el confinamiento impuesto por el Gobierno de España el 14 de marzo de 2020. Se recogieron variables sociodemográficas, obstétricas, relacionadas con el confinamiento y variables psicológicas. Resultados El estrés percibido, estrés específico del embarazo, así como el insomnio son variables predictoras en la mayoría de síntomas ansiosos (obsesiones y compulsiones, ansiedad y ansiedad fóbica) y depresivos relacionados con la COVID-19. Conclusiones Es importante destinar futuras intervenciones psicológicas en esta población al control del estrés y monitorización del sueño, ya que estas variables influyen en el incremento de ansiedad y depresión.

Producción Científica, The present study explored and compared the link between resilience and pregnancy-related stress, perceived stress, and anxiety, employing two structural equation models. One model focused on pregnant women before the outbreak of the pandemic, and the other on pregnancies throughout the pandemic. For this purpose, a total sample of 690 women during their pregnancy were collected: the Pre-Pandemic Group (P-PG) was composed of 341 pregnant women evaluated prior to the pandemic; and 349 pregnant women assessed at the time of the pandemic constituted the Pandemic Group (PG). The resilience, pregnancy-related stress, perceived stress, and anxiety symptomatology of the women were assessed. For both samples, resilience was found to lower levels of pregnancy-specific stress, as well as general perceived stress, and anxiety symptomatology. Furthermore, pregnancy-specific stress and perceived stress showed a covariance relationship and, that these, in turn, increased the anxiety. Moreover, the PG showed greater levels of pregnancy-specific stress, anxiety, somatisations, and obsessions-compulsions, while the P-PG presented higher perceived stress levels., Publicación en abierto financiada por el Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Castilla y León (BUCLE), con cargo al Programa Operativo 2014ES16RFOP009 FEDER 2014-2020 DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN, Actuación:20007-CL - Apoyo Consorcio BUCLE

Producción Científica, The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the population's levels of stress and anxiety due to its contagious nature and the uncertainties generated by its novelty. One population that is especially vulnerable to these psychological consequences are pregnant women. This is why the objective of this study was to test the efficacy of an online stress management programme of a cognitive behavioural nature on pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Spain. The trial was controlled and randomised, with a total of 207 pregnant women divided into three groups: the Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy group (o-CBT) (N = 70); the Online Psychological Support group (o-PS) (N = 69); and the Usual Care group (UC) (N = 68). To test the therapy's efficacy, the women's resilience, perceived stress, pregnancy-specific stress and psychopathological symptoms were assessed before and after the intervention. The o-CBT and o-PS consisted of a programme of 8 group sessions (one per week). The results showed that pregnant women who participated in the o-CBT group presented lower rates of pregnancy-specific stress and perceived stress, as well as greater resilience and lower anxiety, depression and obsessions-compulsions symptoms. These data show the efficacy of the treatment programme and thus confirm the importance of implementing these types of interventions during a woman's pregnancy, especially over periods of major stress, such as during a pandemic., Junta de Andalucía - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (project A-CTS-229-UGR18), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (grant 18/00617)

Optimal adaptation to changes that occur during pregnancy is essential to prevent possible negative effects on maternal psychological health (such as stress or postpartum depression). In fact, an adequate adaptation to the new life situation has implications on the subsequent offspring´s development. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the potential association between levels of personal growth and maternal age during pregnancy with the subsequent cognitive and motor neurodevelopment of the offspring at 6 months of age. Twenty-three pregnant women participated in this longitudinal study. The participants were assessed during the three trimesters of pregnancy using the Ryff Psychological Well-being Scale (Ryff, 1989). The neonates´ neurodevelopment was assessed using the BSID-III at 6 months of age. A multiple linear regression analysis was carried out using maternal growth during pregnancy and gestational age as independent variables, and the levels of cognitive and motor neurodevelopment of the babies at 6 months of age as dependent variables. The results showed that personal growth during pregnancy predicted cognitive neurodevelopment. Personal growth was also positively related with the scalar score of the fine motor subscale. Findings from this study suggest that maternal personal growth during pregnancy is a predictor of the later infants´ neurodevelopment at 6 months of age.

Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University of the Junta de Andalucia, Grant/Award Number: A-CTS-229-UGR18; European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Grant/Award Number: 18/00617, Objective: To compare the postpartum psychopathological symptoms of women who gave birth before the pandemic with those who gave birth during the pandemic. Methods: A total of 212 women participated in the study, of which 96 gave birth before the pandemic and 116 during the pandemic. Psychopathological symptoms, postpartum depression, perceived stress, and resilience were evaluated. Results: Women who gave birth during the pandemic had higher scores on somatization, obsessions and compulsions, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, and psychoticism. In addition, perceived stress was the common predictor of an increase in these symptoms. Conclusion: Postpartum is a complicated period in a woman's life. Many psychological adaptations take place and women may be subject to psychological alterations during this period. In addition, women who gave birth during the COVID-19 crisis may show greater psychological vulnerability, due to the specific situation experienced during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic may have played a role in the increase in psychopathological symptoms after childbirth. Detecting possible symptoms postpartum plays a crucial role, because it allows intervening and preventing the development of psychopathologies., Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University of the Junta de Andalucia A-CTS-229-UGR18, European Commission, Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities 18/00617

Producción Científica, Background: The global pandemic has affected the psychological health of the population, including pregnant women. Due to the difficulty of offering conventional therapies to reduce stress in this population, studies are needed to show the effect of online therapies. Therefore, the objective was to test the effect of online cognitive behavioural therapy in pregnant women during the pandemic on the main variables of stress and psychopathology. Methods: The sample consisted of 16 pregnant women who participated in a weekly cognitive behavioural intervention for 8 weeks. Prenatal concerns, general stress, stress vulnerability, resilience and psychopathology were assessed. Results: The results show a reduction in prenatal concerns, perceived stress, stress vulnerability and psychopathology, as well as an increase in resilience. Conclusions: Online cognitive behavioural intervention may be effective in pregnant women, so it is important to conduct a randomised controlled trial to certify these findings., Junta de Andalucía y Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) - (Project A-CTS-229-UGR18), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades - (FPU 18/00617)

This work was supported by the Frontier Project "ACTS229UGR18" of the Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University of the Junta de Andalucia, cosupported by funds/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - a way to build Europe. Beside, Mr. Jose Antonio PuertasGonzalez has been awarded with an individual research grant (Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, FPU program, reference number 18/00617) ., The aim was to examine the psychological effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant women, as well as the factors influencing these effects. The study design was cross-sectional and the participants were 200 pregnant women. The first group called the Pandemic Group (PG) included 100 women who were evaluated with psychological assessment instruments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second group titled Pre-Pandemic Group (PPG) consisted of 100 women who were evaluated prior to the pandemic. Perceived stress, prenatal concerns and psychopathological symptoms were evaluated and compared. Pandemic Group scored significantly higher than Pre-Pandemic Group in the depression dimension of the SCL-90, in the phobic anxiety dimension, and in the Perceived Stress Scale. In addition, insomnia, along with having recently suffered the loss of a loved one explained 25% of the score variance in the depression dimension of the SCL-90. Insomnia also explained 13% of the variance of the results found in the Perceived Stress Scale. The fear of contagion by COVID-19 increased the scores obtained in the phobic anxiety dimension, explaining 11% of the variance. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic could produce an increase in psychopathological symptomatology and stress, which can lead to negatively affecting pregnant women's mental health., Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, Business ACTS229UGR18, Junta de Andalucia, European Commission, Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, FPU program 18/00617

The pandemic caused by COVID-19, at a psychological level, can cause an increase in levels of stress and anxiety due to the fear of contagion and its consequences. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to these psychological consequences. Thus, the objective of this study was to verify the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral stress control program in reducing psychological stress and increasing resilience in pregnant women, which ended at the begining of the confinement due to COVID-19 in Spain.The study included 22 pregnant women who were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group (GT) consisted of 11 participants and the control group (GC) also consisted of 11 participants. Participants were recruited from the Hospital Universitario Clínico San Cecilio in the province of Granada (Spain), where the weekly cognitive behavioral intervention was also carried out, which was implemented between January 22 and March 11, 2020. They used the assessment instruments: Pregnancy Distress Questionnaire (PDQ), Perceived Stress Scale (EEP-14), Inventory of Vulnerability to Stress (IVE) and Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). A mixed ANOVA of repeated measures 2*2 was performed, with the variable between groups having two levels (CG and GT), and the within-subject having two time periods (pre and post).The repeated measures ANOVA analysis showed group*time interaction effects between the therapy group and the control group and the CD-RISC scores (FIt can be affirmed that cognitive behavioral intervention in pregnant women, administrated prior to confinement in Spain and during the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in increased levels of resilience in this population.La pandemia provocada por la COVID-19, a nivel psicológico, puede producir un aumento en los niveles de estrés y ansiedad por el miedo al contagio y sus consecuencias. Un grupo especialmente vulnerable a dichas consecuencias psicológicas es el de mujeres embarazadas. Así, el objetivo de este estudio fue comprobar la eficacia de un programa de control del estrés, de carácter cognitivo-conductual, en la reducción de estrés psicológico y el aumento de la resiliencia en mujeres embarazadas, que finalizó en el momento de la instauración del confinamiento por la COVID-19 en España.El estudio quedó constituido por veintidós mujeres embarazadas que fueron divididas en dos grupos de forma aleatoria: once constituyeron el grupo experimental (GT) y once el grupo control (GC). Las participantes fueron reclutadas del Hospital Universitario Clínico San Cecilio de la provincia de Granada (España), donde también se llevó a cabo la intervención cognitivo-conductual de carácter semanal, que se implementó entre el 22 de enero y el 11 de marzo de 2020. Se emplearon los siguientes instrumentos de evaluación: Cuestionario de Preocupaciones Prenatales (PDQ), Escala de Estrés Percibido (EEP-14), Inventario de Vulnerabilidad al Estrés (IVE) y Escala de Resiliencia de Connor y Davidson (CD-RISC). Se realizó un ANOVA mixto de medidas repetidas 2*2, teniendo la variable entre grupos dos niveles (GC y GT), y la variable intrasujeto dos momentos temporales (pre y post).El análisis ANOVA de medidas repetidas mostró efectos de interacción grupo*tiempo entre los grupos de terapia y control y las puntuaciones del CD-RISC (FSe puede afirmar que la intervención cognitivo-conductual en mujeres embarazadas, impartida de manera previa al confinamiento en España y durante la pandemia provocada por la COVID-19, ha provocado un incremento de los niveles de resiliencia en dicha población.