FOR THE MEDICAL PRACTITIONER
Obstetrics and Gynecology
doi: 10.25005/2074-0581-2025-27-1-181-191
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON PREGNANT WOMEN IN DUSHANBE

S.N. MAVLONOVA¹, G.D. PIROVA², YU.YU. MIRZOALIEV²

1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology № 2, Avicenna Tajik State Medical University, Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan
2Tajik Research Institute of Preventive Medicine, Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan

Objective: To assess the level of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in pregnant women after the COVID-19 pandemic and identify factors that affect their mental health.

Methods: 300 pregnant women who had recovered from COVID-19 were examined to analyze their psycho-emotional state using standardized questionnaires. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – 21 Items (DASS-21) was utilized.

Results: An analysis of the psycho-emotional state revealed that a significant number of women reported experiencing severe anxiety and stress. These findings highlight the importance of providing support and information to pregnant women regarding the safety of vaccinations and strategies for managing their emotional well-being. Key aspects that should be considered when developing programs and activities to assist pregnant women have been identified, and recommendations have been provided. These recommendations may benefit medical, public organizations, and government agencies involved in health care and family health support.

Conclusion: The significant level of extreme anxiety experienced by pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the necessity to focus on the mental well-being of this group.

Keywords: Pregnancy, psychological state, emotional support, COVID-19.

Download file:

References
  1. Anikina VO, Savenysheva SS, Blokh ME. Psikhicheskoe zdorov'e zhenshchin v period beremennosti v usloviyakh pandemii koronavirusa COVID-19: obzor zarubezhnykh issledovaniy [Mental health of women during pregnancy during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic: A review of foreign studies]. Sovremennaya zarubezhnaya psikhologiya. 2021;10(1):70-8. https://doi.org/10.17759/ jmfp.2021100107
  2. Mei H, Li N, Li J, Zhang D, Cao Z, Zhou Y, et al. Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in pregnant women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Psychosom Res. 2021;149:110586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jpsychores.2021.110586
  3. Rubertsson C, Hellström J, Cross M, Sydsjö G. Anxiety in early pregnancy: Prevalence and contributing factors. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2014;17(3):221- 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-013-0409-0
  4. Ayaz R, Hocaoğlu M, Günay T, Yardımcı OD, Turgut A, Karateke A. Anxiety and depression symptoms in the same pregnant women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Perinat Med. 2020;48(9):965-70. https://doi.org/10.1515/ jpm.2020.03.80
  5. Elshafeey F, Magdi R, Hindi N, Elshebiny M, Farrag N, Mahdy S, et al. A systematic scoping review of COVID-19 during pregnancy and childbirth. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2020;150(1):47-52. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.13182
  6. Dashraath P, Wong JLJ, Lim MXK, Lim LM, Li S, Biswas A, et al. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020;222(6):521-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2020.03.021
  7. Leis JA, Heron J, Stuart EA, Mendelson T. Associations between maternal mental health and child emotional and behavioral problems: Does prenatal mental health matter? J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2014;42(1):161-71. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10802-013-9766-4
  8. Kotabagi P, Fortune L, Essien S, Nauta M, Yoong W. Anxiety and depression levels among pregnant women with COVID-19. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2020;99(7):953-4. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.13928
  9. Ceulemans M, Foulon V, Ngo E, Panchaud A, Winterfeld U, Pomar L. Mental health status of pregnant and breastfeeding women during the COVID-19 pandemic – A multinational cross-sectional study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2021;100(7):1219-29. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14092
  10. Liu CH, Erdei C, Mittal L. Risk factors for depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in perinatal women during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Psychiatry Res. 2021;295:113552. https://doi.org/10.10.1016/j.psychres
  11. Durankuş F, Aksu E. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and depressive symptoms in pregnant women: A preliminary study. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2022;35(2):205-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767058.2020.1763946
  12. Preis H, Mahaffey B, Heiselman C, Lobel M. Pandemic-related pregnancy stress and anxiety among women pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2020;2(3):100155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ajogmf.2020.100155
  13. Ng QJ, Koh KM, Tagore S, Mathur M. Perception and feelings of antenatal women during COVID-19 Pandemic: A cross-sectional survey. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2020;49(8):543-52.
  14. Ibrahim SM, Lobel M. Conceptualization, measurement, and effects of pregnancy-specific stress: Review of research using the original and revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire. J Behav Med. 2020;43(1):16-33. https://doi. org/10.007/s10865-019-00068-7
  15. Mappa I, Distefano FA, Rizzo G. Effects of coronavirus 19 pandemic on maternal anxiety during pregnancy: A prospectic observational study. J Perinat Med. 2020;48(6):545-50. https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2020-0182

Authors' information:

Mavlonova Sadorat Niyozalievna,
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Assistant at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology № 2, Avicenna Tajik State Medical University
ORCID ID: 0009-0002-5781-7102
SPIN: 6441-7356
Author ID: 1054704
E-mail: sadijon55@inbox.ru

Pirova Gulchekhra Davronovna,
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Junior Researcher, Tajik Research Institute of Preventive Medicine
ORCID ID: 0009-0007-9379-0097
SPIN: 9621-0371
Author ID: 1249827
E-mail: gulya.pirova@gmail.com

Mirzoaliev Yunusdzhon Yusufalievich,
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Researcher, Tajik Research Institute of Preventive Medicine
ORCID ID: 0009-0000-7300-5513
E-mail: yunus.mirzoaliev@gmail.com

Information about support in the form of grants, equipment, medications

The work was carried out within the framework of the Project "Emergency Response to Coronavirus Infection COVID-19 in the Republic of Tajikistan", fi- nanced by the World Bank through the Project Implementation Center of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan. The au- thors did not receive financial support from manufacturers of medicines and medical equipment

Conflicts of interest: No conflict

Address for correspondence:

Mavlonova Sadorat Niyozalievna
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Assistant at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology № 2, Avicenna Tajik State Medical University

7340026, Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, Sino str., 29-31

Tel.: +992 (909) 995566

E-mail: sadijon55@inbox.ru


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Materials on the topic:
  1. PERINATAL OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH EARLY AND LATE SEVERE PREECLAMPSIA
  2. EFFICACY OF EMERGENCY TRANSVAGINAL CERVICAL CERCLAGE
  3. HIGH-SENSITIVITY C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY IN OBESE PATIENTS WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES
  4. PREMATURE PLACENTAL ABRUPTION: EPIDEMIOLOGY, RISK FACTORS, AND MEDICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS
  5. RATES AND CATEGORIES OF PRETERM BIRTHS IN MATERNITY CARE FACILITIES OF VARIOUS LEVELS
  6. RISK FACTORS FOR SPONTANEOUS PRETERM BIRTH
  7. PREMATURE SEPARATION OF THE NORMALLY IMPLANTED PLACENTA
  8. MORPHOFUNCTIONAL FEATURES OF THE PLACENTA IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH TUBERCULOSIS
  9. INDUCTION OF LABOR IN PRE-ECLAMPTIC WOMEN
  10. EMERGENCY CESAREAN SECTION WITH REDO MITRAL VALVE REPLACEMENT FOR ACUTE PROSTHETIC VALVE DYSFUNCTION: A CASE REPORT

◄ Back to the list