COVID-19, Motherhood, and Risk: Psychological Dimensions and Implications for Psychological Support Interventions in Perinatality Since the Beginning of the Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 emergency has led to a timely reorganization of the maternal-infant assistance and care pathways, in terms of the definition of ad hoc guidelines to ensure the health and safety of women during pregnancy and post-partum. Alongside this, there is a need to plan tailored evidence-based psychological interventions promoting psychological well-being in women who have experienced and/or are experiencing pregnancy/childbirth/post-partum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the present study aims at describing the research that investigated the experiences elicited in pregnant women (physiological, "high risk" and affected by COVID-19), and their impact on perceived psychological well-being (before and during the pandemic). The results highlighted high levels of psychological distress in terms of insomnia and irritability, stress and post-traumatic disorders, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders in pregnant women in relation to the growing risk experienced during the pandemic. The literature will be summarised and discussed with the goal to provide useful information for defining interventions aiming at promoting pregnant women’s psychological health, as well as at preventing and reducing long-term negative effects related to COVID-19. This will allow to effectively support pregnant women and new mothers on the sensitive path toward parenthood.

doi: 10.53240/2023topic2001.07