Postpartum depression on the rise during covid

According to a Canadian study, the stress caused by the pandemic has increased postpartum depression and requests for psychological support from new mothers.

Covid has put a strain not only on our physical health, but also on our mental health : young students , stressed by DAD, and mothers , who are forced to divide between telework and family more than husbands, are well aware of this. A Canadian study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal investigated the

mental health of new mothers, which focused in particular on the incidence of postpartum crises during covid: it emerged that, between March and November 2020, medical visits due to postpartum psychological distress increased by 30%. “The request for visits increased at the beginning of March, even before a state of emergency was declared”, underlines Simone Vigod, head of the study, who explains how this is indicative of how much the stress of the pandemic has immediately translated into a greater demand for psychological support.

SciencePsychiatric disorders in covid survivors

The study considered almost 140,000 medical visits booked by new mothers in Ontario (Canada) during the year following the birth, analyzing data relating to the age, number of children, standard of living, and the different ethnic groups in the neighborhood. residence and region of residence. It found that the number of visits to family doctors and psychiatrists increased significantly compared to the prepandemic period, particularly for parents suffering from anxiety, depression, and drug or alcohol abuse.

ONLINE SUPPORT. Another trend that emerged with the health emergency is the increase in virtual visits: almost 85% of post-natal visits in April 2020 were conducted online, compared to just 3% the previous year. According to the authors, being able to receive psychological support online would have helped more than someone to use the service, not having to think about how to move and organize themselves with work shifts and transport.

What helped some mothers, however, would have hindered others: the study found a minimal increase in pandemic postpartum medical visits in poorer neighborhoods, compared to richer ones. “Mothers belonging to low-income families have more difficulty accessing health resources”, explain the authors, underlining how often these women do not have the necessary technology to carry out medical examinations online, or do not have a quiet place from which to connect in home, and hoping that in the future a way will be found to ensure a good health service for them too.

 

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