Media Advisory: Pandemic leaves postpartum moms reeling

Hamilton, ON (July 6, 2021) – Mothers with postpartum depression have been left reeling by the COVID-19 pandemic, cut off from family, friends and healthcare services during repeated lockdowns.

In this study led by McMaster University’s Ryan J. Van Lieshout, 305 mothers seeking treatment for postpartum depression before the pandemic were compared to 298 women during COVID-19, measuring depression levels, anxiety, and mother-infant bonding.

During the pandemic, women were found to be 65 per cent more likely to have clinically significant levels of postpartum depression and have a 46 per cent higher risk of substantial anxiety. 

On top of this, women with postpartum depression must juggle caring for babies with educating older children, running households and supporting their spouses, a strain faced by all mothers since early 2020. 

Despite this, they still maintain good relationships with their children, a nod to their resilience, Van Lieshout says.

 

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Embargoed until Tuesday, July 6, at 1:00 pm EST by the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry