Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, access to care, and health disparities in the perinatal period
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Authors
Masters, Grace A.Asipenko, Eugenia
Bergman, Aaron
Bergman, Aaron L.
Person, Sharina D.
Brenckle, Linda
Moore Simas, Tiffany A.
Ko, Jean Y.
Robbins, Cheryl L.
Byatt, Nancy
UMass Chan Affiliations
School of MedicineGraduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Department of Psychiatry
Document Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2021-03-01Keywords
Access to careAnxiety
COVID-19
pandemic
Depression
Perinatal mental health
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Health Services Administration
Health Services Research
Infectious Disease
Maternal and Child Health
Mental and Social Health
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Psychiatry
Psychiatry and Psychology
Virus Diseases
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BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected mental health and created barriers to healthcare. In this study, we sought to elucidate the pandemic's effects on mental health and access to care for perinatal individuals. METHODS: This cross-sectional study of individuals in Massachusetts who were pregnant or up to three months postpartum with a history of depressive symptoms examined associations between demographics and psychiatric symptoms (via validated mental health screening instruments) and the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on mental health and access to care. Chi-square associations and multivariate regression models were used. RESULTS: Of 163 participants, 80.8% perceived increased symptoms of depression and 88.8% of anxiety due to the pandemic. Positive screens for depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD at time of interview, higher education, and income were associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety due to the pandemic. Positive screens for depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD were also associated with perceived changes in access to mental healthcare. Compared to non-Hispanic White participants, participants of color (Black, Asian, Multiracial, and/or Hispanic/Latinx) were more likely to report that the pandemic changed their mental healthcare access (aOR:3.25, 95%CI:1.23, 8.59). LIMITATIONS: Limitations included study generalizability, given that participants have a history of depressive symptoms, and cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic has increased symptoms of perinatal depression and anxiety and impacted perceived access to care. Self-reported increases in depression and anxiety and changes to healthcare access varied by education, race/ethnicity, income, and positive screens. Understanding these differences is important to address perinatal mental health and provide equitable care.Source
Masters GA, Asipenko E, Bergman AL, Person SD, Brenckle L, Moore Simas TA, Ko JY, Robbins CL, Byatt N. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, access to care, and health disparities in the perinatal period. J Psychiatr Res. 2021 Mar 1;137:126-130. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.02.056. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33677216. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI
10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.02.056Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/27395PubMed ID
33677216Related Resources
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.02.056
Scopus Count
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