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Maternal mental health and coping during the COVID‐19 lockdown in the UK: Data from the COVID‐19 New Mum Study
Author(s) -
Dib Sarah,
Rougeaux Emeline,
VázquezVázquez Adriana,
Wells Jonathan C. K.,
Fewtrell Mary
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/ijgo.13397
Subject(s) - mental health , coping (psychology) , medicine , feeling , covid-19 , social support , confidence interval , psychological intervention , psychiatry , clinical psychology , psychology , disease , social psychology , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Objective To assess how mothers are feeling and coping during lockdown, and to identify the potential pathways that can assist them. Methods A descriptive analysis of maternal mental health, coping, support, activities, lockdown consequences was conducted. Women living in the UK with an infant aged ≤12 months completed an online survey. Linear regression was used to identify predictors of maternal mental health and coping. Results A majority of the 1329 participants reported feeling down (56%), lonely (59%), irritable (62%), and worried (71%) to some extent since lockdown began, but 70% felt able to cope. Support with her own health (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.004–0.235), contacting infant support groups (95% CI −0.003 to 0.252), and higher gestational age of the infant (95% CI 0.000–0.063) predicted better mental health. Travelling for work (95% CI −0.680 to −0.121), the impact of lockdown on the ability to afford food (95% CI −1.202 to −0.177), and having an income <£30 000 (95% CI −0.475 to −0.042) predicted poorer mental health. Support with her own health and more equal division of household chores were associated with better coping. Conclusion There is a need to assess maternal mental health and identify prevention strategies for mothers during lockdown.