Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Perceived Stress in Postpartum Mexican Women during the COVID-19 Lockdown

• Main Authors: Blanca Vianey Suárez-Rico, Guadalupe Estrada-Gutierrez, Maribel Sánchez-Martínez, Otilia Perichart-Perera, Carolina Rodríguez-Hernández, Carla González-Leyva, Erika Osorio-Valencia, Arturo Cardona-Pérez, Addy Cecilia Helguera-Repetto, Salvador Espino y Sosa, Mario Solis-Paredes, Enrique Reyes-Muñoz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; postpartum; anxiety; perceived stress; COVID-19; lockdown
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/9/4627
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

The COVID-19 lockdown represents a new challenge for mental health researchers and clinical practitioners. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress in postpartum Mexican women. The study included 293, 4–12-week postpartum women over the age of 18. The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Trait-State Trait Anxiety Inventory (T-STAI), and Ten Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), which are all questionnaires validated for the Mexican population, were applied using a web-based online survey. Prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the maternal age was 29.9 ± 6.3 years; the EPDS score: 11 ± 6, T-STAI score: 41.7 ± 12.3, and PSS-10 score: 17.1 ± 7. The prevalence (95% CI) of the postpartum depression symptoms was 39.2% (34–45%), trait anxiety symptoms were found among 46.1% (32–43%) of the participants, and moderate and high perceived stress were in 58% (52–64) and 10.9% (7.8–15) of the participants, respectively. The prevalence of depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, and perceived stress was higher among postpartum Mexican women during the COVID-19 outbreak than before the lockdown. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring perinatal mental health during pandemics and the need to design effective psychologic interventions for these patients.