At the beginning of the pandemic, everyone jokingly made statements about how the world would experience a “COVID-related baby boom.” However, this couldn’t be further from the truth and new findings in research are suggesting an opposite effect. With the population facing the impact of on and off lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, women, especially new and expecting mothers, are at a higher risk of experiencing decreasing mental health. Research suggests that, when compared to men, the increased isolation and burdens caused by the pandemic, paired with the burdens that are brought on traditionally by pregnancy are causing first-time and expecting mothers to feel higher rates of anxiety, depression, and stress. Maternal mental health not only affects their overall health and functioning in both the short- and long-term, but it also affects the physical, cognitive, and psychological development of their child. These conditions, only worsened by the pandemic, are inflating the risks of maternal mental health morbidity. Furthermore, with healthcare restrictions in effect to mitigate the spread of the disease, findings suggest that there is a decrease in the quality of intrapartum care which has only caused increases in institutional stillbirth rates and neonatal mortality.
Additional support resources:
The MotHERS Program
613-549-6666 ext. 3937
[ Ссылка ]
Birthright Toronto:
1-800-550-4900 (hotline)
www.birthright.org
BORN Ontario:
613-737-7600 ext. 6022
[ Ссылка ]
Aid to Women:
416-921-6016 (phone)
www.aidtowomen.ca
This video was made by McMaster students Sébastien Violette, Hana Nazal, and Stephanie Wang in collaboration with the McMaster Demystifying Medicine Program.
Copyright McMaster University 2021
#DemystifyingMedicine, #MentalHealth
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