Previous psychopathology predicted severe COVID-19 concern, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in pregnant women during "lockdown" in Italy.

Ravaldi, C; Ricca, V; Wilson, A; Homer, C; Vannacci, A

Previous psychopathology predicted severe COVID-19 concern, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in pregnant women during "lockdown" in Italy.

Ravaldi, C Ricca, V Wilson, A Homer, C

Vannacci, A

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Publisher:: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Archives of women's mental health, 2020, pp. 1-4
Issue Date:: 2020-11-20

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Ravaldi, C
dc.contributor.author	Ricca, V
dc.contributor.author	Wilson, A
dc.contributor.author	Homer, C https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7454-3011
dc.contributor.author	Vannacci, A
dc.date.accessioned	2021-01-22T05:10:01Z
dc.date.available	2020-10-31
dc.date.available	2021-01-22T05:10:01Z
dc.date.issued	2020-11-20
dc.identifier.citation	Archives of women's mental health, 2020, pp. 1-4
dc.identifier.issn	1434-1816
dc.identifier.issn	1435-1102
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145551
dc.description.abstract	Italy was the first COVID-19 pandemic epicenter among European countries and established a period of full "lockdown", consisting of travel bans, mandatory staying at home, and temporary closure of nonessential businesses. Similar measures are known risk factors for psychological disturbances in the general population; still, little is known about their impact on pregnant women's mental health during COVID-19 pandemic. The cross-sectional, web-based, national survey "COVID-19 related Anxiety and StreSs in prEgnancy, poSt-partum and breaStfeeding" (COVID-ASSESS) was conducted during the first month of full "lockdown" in Italy. Participants were recruited via social networks with a snowball technique. The questionnaire was specifically developed to examine COVID-19 concerns and included the psychometric tests National Stressful Events Survey (NSESSS) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to explore the association of the concern, anxiety and PTSD symptoms with age, gestational weeks, parity, days of "lockdown", assisted reproductive technology use, psychopathological history, and previous perinatal losses. Out of 1015 pregnant women reached, 737 (72.6%) fully answered the questionnaire; no woman reported a COVID-19 infection. Median age was 34.4 years [quartiles 31.7, 37.2], median days in "lockdown" were 13.1 [11.0, 17.0], median gestational weeks were 27.8 [19.8, 34.0]. Clinically significant PTSD symptoms were present in 75 women (10.2%, NSESSS cutoff 24) and clinically significant anxiety symptoms were present in 160 women (21.7%, STAI-Y1 cutoff 50). Women were particularly worried about the health of their baby and of their elderly relatives, as well as of the possible impact of pandemic in the future of society. Previous anxiety predicted higher concern and PTSD symptoms; previous depression and anxiety were independently associated with current PTSD symptoms.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.relation.ispartof	Archives of women's mental health
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00737-020-01086-0
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Psychiatry
dc.title	Previous psychopathology predicted severe COVID-19 concern, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in pregnant women during "lockdown" in Italy.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.location.activity	Austria
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
utslib.for	1702 Cognitive Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - WHO CC
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2021-01-22T05:09:23Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

Italy was the first COVID-19 pandemic epicenter among European countries and established a period of full "lockdown", consisting of travel bans, mandatory staying at home, and temporary closure of nonessential businesses. Similar measures are known risk factors for psychological disturbances in the general population; still, little is known about their impact on pregnant women's mental health during COVID-19 pandemic. The cross-sectional, web-based, national survey "COVID-19 related Anxiety and StreSs in prEgnancy, poSt-partum and breaStfeeding" (COVID-ASSESS) was conducted during the first month of full "lockdown" in Italy. Participants were recruited via social networks with a snowball technique. The questionnaire was specifically developed to examine COVID-19 concerns and included the psychometric tests National Stressful Events Survey (NSESSS) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to explore the association of the concern, anxiety and PTSD symptoms with age, gestational weeks, parity, days of "lockdown", assisted reproductive technology use, psychopathological history, and previous perinatal losses. Out of 1015 pregnant women reached, 737 (72.6%) fully answered the questionnaire; no woman reported a COVID-19 infection. Median age was 34.4 years [quartiles 31.7, 37.2], median days in "lockdown" were 13.1 [11.0, 17.0], median gestational weeks were 27.8 [19.8, 34.0]. Clinically significant PTSD symptoms were present in 75 women (10.2%, NSESSS cutoff 24) and clinically significant anxiety symptoms were present in 160 women (21.7%, STAI-Y1 cutoff 50). Women were particularly worried about the health of their baby and of their elderly relatives, as well as of the possible impact of pandemic in the future of society. Previous anxiety predicted higher concern and PTSD symptoms; previous depression and anxiety were independently associated with current PTSD symptoms.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145551