Journal article
Depression in the time of COVID-19: Examination of prenatal and postpartum depression, rurality, and the impact of COVID-19
Journal of affective disorders, Vol.370, pp.337-347
02/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.10.081
PMCID: PMC11631661
PMID: 39490676
Abstract
To determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms in rural versus urban populations.
A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 24,227 cisgender women who gave birth from 2010 to 2021 at an academic medical center located in a rural midwestern state. Exclusion criteria were <18 years old, incarcerated, or without a documented zip code. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was administered during pregnancy and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during postpartum. A sub-cohort also completed a COVID-related questionnaire. Rurality was defined as living in a county with <50,000 people. The COVID-19 era was defined as 1/1/2020 to 9/25/2021. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used as appropriate. Significance was set at α < 0.05.
Rural participants were more likely (p ≤ 0.001) to exhibit clinical depression symptoms before the pandemic in both the prenatal (8.63 % of rural participants vs. 6.49 % of urban participants) and postpartum periods (11.19 % rural vs. 9.28 % urban). During the pandemic, urban participants had increased postpartum depression. Rural participants endorsed more financial and labor concerns, whereas urban participants expressed support system concerns.
Study data were gathered from participants who gave birth at a single, midwestern hospital. Results may not be widely generalizable given the homogeneity of participants.
Rural women experienced higher rates of prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms compared to their urban counterparts. The COVID-19 pandemic was a significant stressor, revealing specific mental health vulnerabilities among birthing people.
•Rural women endorse more prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms.•This differential held true for prenatal depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.•This differential did not hold true for postpartum depression during the pandemic.•Rural women endorsed increased financial and labor concerns during the pandemic.•Urban women expressed increased concerns about social supports.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Depression in the time of COVID-19: Examination of prenatal and postpartum depression, rurality, and the impact of COVID-19
- Creators
- Kelsey L. Blocklinger - University of IowaSerena B. Gumusoglu - University of IowaAshlyn S. Kenney - University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, United States of AmericaAlexis J. Faudel - University of IowaElissa Faro - University of IowaDebra S. Brandt - University of IowaBoyd Knosp - University of IowaHeather A. Davis - University of IowaStephen K. Hunter - University of IowaMark K. Santillan - University of IowaDonna A. Santillan - University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of affective disorders, Vol.370, pp.337-347
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jad.2024.10.081
- PMID
- 39490676
- PMCID
- PMC11631661
- NLM abbreviation
- J Affect Disord
- ISSN
- 0165-0327
- eISSN
- 1573-2517
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Grant note
- University of Iowa Public-Private Partnership (P3) grantNational Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health: UM1TR004403 Health Resources & Service Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
This work was supported by the University of Iowa Public-Private Partnership (P3) grant, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health [UM1TR004403] , and the Health Resources & Service Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 10/25/2024
- Date published
- 02/2025
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Obstetrics and Gynecology; General Internal Medicine; Medicine Administration; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984742560002771
Metrics
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