Introduction: COVID-19 has negative and sometimes irreversible effects on infertile women. This study aimed to investigate hopelessness and depression in infertile women whose treatment has been delayed due to COVID-19.
Methods: This case-control study was conducted online on 172 infertile women. The case group included infertile women under treatment whose treatment was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the control group was selected from infertile women who were not under infertile treatment. This study was conducted between April and December 2021 in Jahrom, Iran. Beck hopelessness standard questionnaire (BHS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to collect data, and p < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The mean score of hopelessness in women in the case group was 9.48 ± 1.80 compared to the control group 8.66 ± 1.34 (OR = 1.39 95% CI = 1.13-1.71), and its areas (OR = 1.33 95% CI = 1.003-2.43), Emotions and expectations score (OR = 1.59 95% CI = 1.07-2.37), Motivation loss score (OR = 2.02 95% CI = 1.49-2.73), Hope score, and depression in women in the case group was 40.33 ± 10.87to 36.72 ± 11.40 compared to the control (OR = 1.17 95% CI = 1.11-1.23). All these variables showed an increase in the case group compared to the control group (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The results showed that infertile women whose treatment was delayed were more frustrated and depressed than women in the control group. COVID-19 epidemic and discontinuation of infertile treatments in infertile women seem to have negative psychological effects. Therefore, the psychological effects of this epidemic on infertile women should not be ignored, so planners should put social and family support at the top of the program.
Purpose: To assess sleep disturbances, levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue in women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI).
Materials and methods: The study included 62 women with POI and 62 age-matched controls. Women in both groups completed questionnaires. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia severity index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Fatigue Severity Scale were used.
Results: We found poor sleep quality, higher levels of insomnia in women with POI than in controls. Depression was much more prevalent and severe in POI women. Total anxiety score, the severity of anxiety and fatigue did not differ significantly between the groups. According to the multivariable logistic regression analysis, being married and having POI were associated with worse quality of sleep, and having more children was associated with an increase in depression levels in the whole cohort. Backward analysis showed that when POI status was taken as a reference, married women were at 6.5 fold increased risk of poor sleep quality.
Conclusions: Women with premature ovarian failure are more likely to suffer from poor sleep quality, insomnia and depression than healthy women.
Background: Restrictions around childbirth, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, could decrease maternal feelings of control during birth. The aim of this study was to compare the sense of control of women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic with women who gave birth before COVID-19. The secondary objective was to identify other factors independently associated with women's sense of control during birth.
Methods: A prospective cohort study, in a sub-cohort of 504 women from a larger cohort (Continuous Care Trial (CCT), n = 992), was conducted. Sense of control was measured by the Labor Agentry Scale (LAS). Perinatal factors independently associated with women's sense of control during birth were identified using multiple linear regression.
Results: Giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic did not influence women's sense of control during birth. Factors statistically significantly related to women's sense of control were Dutch ethnic background (β 4.787, 95%-CI 1.319 to 8.254), antenatal worry (β - 4.049, 95%-CI -7.516 to -.581), antenatal anxiety (β - 4.677, 95%-CI -7.751 to 1.603) and analgesics during birth (β - 3.672, 95%-CI -6.269 to -1.075).
Conclusions: Despite the introduction of restrictions, birth during the COVID-19 pandemic was not associated with a decrease of women's sense of control.
Purpose: Postpartum experiences have been adversely affected by the burdens of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are no well-tested measures of pandemic-specific postpartum stress. We developed a modified, postpartum version of the Pandemic-Related Pregnancy Stress Scale (PREPS) and examined the psychometric properties of this novel measure.
Methods: Online questionnaires were administered at 3-4 month intervals throughout pregnancy and postpartum to women pregnant at the start of the pandemic. This study reports psychometric properties of the Pandemic-Related Postpartum Stress Scale (PREPS-PP) among women who were administered this instrument at either of two postpartum timepoints.
Results: At both timepoints (n = 1301 and n = 1009), CFAs revealed good model fit of the same three-factor structure identified for the prenatal PREPS (Preparedness Stress, Infection Stress, and Positive Appraisal). All PREPS-PP subscales demonstrated good reliability (α's .78-87). Higher levels of Preparedness Stress and Infection Stress were associated with greater health and financial burdens and psychological distress.
Conclusions: The PREPS-PP is a reliable and valid measure of postpartum stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a valuable tool for future research into how pandemic-related postpartum stress may affect families in the short- and long-term.
Aim: The management of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is still evolving due to the modest effect sizes of the available treatment modalities. Yoga as therapeutic intervention in PMS has been gathering interest amongst researchers. The current manuscript reviews the evidence surrounding yoga in PMS.Methods: This manuscript was a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness of yoga on the total scores and sub-domains of PMS after studies were identified using a pre-defined selection criterion after a search in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the accumulated data was performed. Overall, 14 studies were identified for the review, 11 of which were used for the purpose of quantitative analysis.Results: The studies were heterogenous in terms of the design, yoga regimes, nature of interventions and tools used for outcome measures. It was found that yoga was beneficial in the management of PMS. This benefit was also seen when all the sub-domains of PMS were individually examined except physical sub-domain.Conclusion: Though there were certain limitations in our review like heterogeneity in studies, possibility of publication bias and restrictive selection criterion; it supported that yoga can be beneficial in patients with PMS.
Objective: This study evaluated the impact of various factors on age at natural menopause as well as psychiatric symptoms including anxiety and depression among postmenopausal women in Jordan.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted and included females with natural menopause (n = 450). A structured interview-based questionnaire was used to collect data about subjects' sociodemographics, health, reproductive and environmental factors. Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) was used to assess psychiatric symptoms. Factors associated with age at natural menopause, depression, or anxiety were identified.
Results: The mean age at natural menopause was 49.5 ± 4.8 years. Mothers' age at menopause, the regularity of cycles, age at last pregnancy and diabetes were significant positive predictors of age at menopause (p < 0.05). The mean anxiety and depressive scores were 6.52 ± 4.26 and 6.77 ± 3.44 respectively. Age, high school education, being nonsmoker and breastfeeding history were inversely associated with anxiety but only cycle length and multiparous were positively associated with anxiety (p < 0.05). While education and being nonsmoker were negatively associated with depression, hypertension was a positive predictor.
Conclusions: The results reveal several environmental, health, and reproductive predictors of age at menopause or psychiatric symptoms among postmenopausal women in Jordan.
Purpose: In March 2020, daily life was disrupted by the new virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. Pandemic-related prenatal anxiety could lead to depression, a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes and abnormal neonatal development. This study aimed to investigate the impact of anxiety on the mental health of pregnant women exposed to catastrophic events as compared to those without such exposure.
Materials and methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and EMBASE were searched for relevant studies. This study compared the prevalence of anxiety among pregnant women during a catastrophic event.
Results: Fifteen full texts were assessed for inclusion, with 3 included, 10 excluded for not meeting criteria, and 2 excluded for other reasons. The included studies were published before the current COVID-19 pandemic but included the SARS 2003 outbreak. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, 10 further studies were conducted, but they failed to meet the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis of two studies using STAI revealed that women exposed to a catastrophic event had a higher mean STAI score of 1.82 points (95% CI: 0.47-3.18 points).
Conclusion: Women with complications during pregnancy should be assessed for anxiety independently from catastrophic events. During financial crises, environmental or other disasters, special attention should be given to women with low risk, normal pregnancies.
Purpose: To assess the level of stress and anxiety in healthcare workers in the departments of obstetrics and gynecology in France during and after the first Covid-19 lockdown.
Methods: Two web-based cross-sectional surveys using several validated questionnaires (the HAD scale, the PSS-10 questionnaire and the Short Form 12 Questionnaire [SF-12]) were proposed to all staff of obstetrics and gynecologic departments in 18 French university hospitals.
Results: A total of 1565 respondents answered the first questionnaire and 1109 completed the second survey. Respondents reported greater levels of stress and impaired mental quality of life during the lockdown, followed by a significant improvement after the end of lockdown (respectively p < .0001 and p = .01). Anxiety was significantly higher among the older participants during the lockdown (p = .008). The potential putative factors related to impaired mental health status were personal protective equipment (PPE) deficit (<.0001), the fear of contracting the virus from the workplace and transmitting to their families (<.0001) and concerns about information given by media and hospitals (<.0001).
Conclusions: Understanding the heavy mental repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare workers could lead to the identification of high-risk in medical and non-medical staff and the implementation of targeted psychological monitoring program.