TITLE:
Prevalence and Factors Associated with Postpartum Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
AUTHORS:
Aisha Ibrahim Tarabay, Dalal Boogis, Aysha Tariq Tabbakh, Raghad Akram Kemawi, Layan Abduljalil Boogis, Abdulrahman Tariq Tabbakh, Maha Mohsen Al-Hadrami, Manal Mohsen Al-Hadrami
KEYWORDS:
PPD, COVID-19, Prevalence, Associated Factors
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.10 No.11,
November
30,
2020
ABSTRACT: Background: Postpartum depression is the most common psychological health problem
among females; it begins after the birth of the child and can occur at any time
during the first year of delivery. The COVID-19 pandemic is a novel virus that
is highly infectious and has several negative psychological impacts on
individuals globally. Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been
reported to increase the incidence rate of depression. We investigated the
prevalence rate and associated factors of postpartum depression (PPD) among
women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during the COVID-19 period, thereby attempting
to determine whether and how COVID-19 affected PPD. Methods: This is a
cross-sectional study that was conducted on women at one week to six months
postpartum using an online questionnaire. SPSS program was used for analyzing
data. Results: This study included 150 participated women; 49.3% were in
the age range of 25 - 34 years old. There were 30.7% reported being primigravida. Regarding the
level of depression, there were 60.7% reported the presence of depression; the
depression was affected by some demographics of females such as the education
level (P = 0.021) and other factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic such as
visiting the doctor during quarantine (P = 0.049), diagnosis with depression by
the doctor (P = 0.006), the impact of the pandemic on depression (P = 0.035),
experiencing symptoms of depression during pregnancy (P = 0.005), family
history (P = 0.043), and difficulties during childbirth during the pandemic
period (P = 0.03). Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of PPD among
women during the COVID-19 period, and it was higher than the prevalence of PPD
before the COVID-19 period.