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Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Postpartum Women from Lower and Middle-income Backgrounds in India and its Effects on Early Mother-infant Bonding: An Observational Study.
- Source :
-
The Psychiatric quarterly [Psychiatr Q] 2023 Sep; Vol. 94 (3), pp. 385-398. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jul 21. - Publication Year :
- 2023
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Abstract
- The study was designed to examine the mental health impact of COVID-19 infection in postpartum women and its effects on mother-infant bonding during the first eight weeks postpartum. Fifty-seven consenting eligible postpartum women were recruited for the study. They were assessed at two time points using standardized rating scales to measure distress and uniquely designed scales assessing COVID-19-specific outcome fears and bonding. Almost half [42%] of postpartum women with COVID-19 suffered from a probable anxiety disorder, and one-third [33.3%] suffered from probable depression. The overwhelming majority [91.2%] experienced COVID-19-specific fear. There was an inverse relationship between one dimension of maternal caregiving and self-report depression and anxiety scores, respectively. Additionally, despite discharge, 25% of the mothers had not breastfed the infants till the 8th-week postpartum period, which is in discordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age that is widely practiced in India. The novel COVID-19 pandemic was associated with anxiety and depression, impacting mother-infant bonding. Therefore, there is a need for specialized mental health services and individualized breastfeeding interventions for this vulnerable population to ensure positive outcomes.<br /> (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1573-6709
- Volume :
- 94
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The Psychiatric quarterly
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 37477821
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-023-10043-w