Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, and The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Yalda Mohsenzadeh
The Brain and Mind Institute and Department of Computer Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Isabelle Giroux
School of Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, and Insititut du Savoir Monfort, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Michelle F. Mottola
R. Samuel McLaughlin Foundation – Exercise and Pregnancy Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Children's Health Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, The Brain and Mind Institute, and Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Evidence suggests that pregnant women who test positive for COVID-19 may develop more severe illness than non-pregnant women and may be at greater risk for psychological distress. The relationship between COVID-19 status (positive, negative, never tested) and symptoms of depression was examined in a survey study (May to September 2020) of pregnant women (n = 869). Pregnant women who reported testing positive for COVID-19 were significantly more likely to report depressive symptoms compared with women who tested negative (P = 0.027) and women who were never tested (P = 0.005). Findings indicate that pregnant women who test positive for COVID-19 should be screened and monitored for depressive symptoms.
