Psychiatric symptoms and couple satisfaction in parents of newborns before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic—A comparison of two prospective studies

Abstract

Abstract Aims To assess anxiety, depression, perceived stress, couple satisfaction and life satisfaction of parents of healthy newborns in two cohorts in 2015 and in 2020 during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Design A prospective follow‐up study. Methods We enrolled 60 parents of healthy newborns (n = 30 dyads) in 2015 and 60 parents (n = 30 dyads) in 2020. Both parents completed six valid and reliable questionnaires independently 1–2 days and 12 months after delivery: Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory‐II, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Couple Satisfaction Index and Life Satisfaction Scale‐4. Results Anxiety was more common but couple satisfaction better in both parents during the COVID‐19 pandemic than in 2015. Depressive symptoms and perceived stress were similarly low, and life satisfaction was similarly high in both cohorts, indicating ample parental resilience. There was a moderate positive association between previous mental health disorders and parental anxiety after delivery during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Keywords

• anxiety
• COVID‐19
• depression
• fathers
• mothers
• newborn