The prevalence of mental ill-health in women during pregnancy and after childbirth during the Covid-19 pandemic: a Systematic Review and Meta- analysis

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a respiratory disease which causes coronavirus and has given rise to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), SARS-CoV in Hong Kong and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). COVID-19, to date, has had the highest morbidity and mortality rates globally, thus reaching the pandemic status. Whilst research has explored the impact of pandemic on general wellbeing, there appears to be a paucity on its association with women’s mental health, with many pregnant women reporting the pandemic negatively impacted their mental health. This study aims to explore the prevalence of the impact of the COVID-19, MERS and SARS pandemics on the mental health of pregnant women. A study protocol was developed and published in PROSPERO (CRD42021235356) to explore several key objectives. A literature search was carried out and identified 316 studies. A meta-analysis was conducted to report the findings. There were no studies reporting the mental health impact due to MERS and SARS. Results showed that women who were pregnant or had just given birth displayed various symptoms of poor mental health including those relating to depression (24.9%), anxiety (32.8%), stress (29.44%), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (27.93%), and sleep disorders (24.38%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of managing mental health during pregnancy and after-delivery improves the quality of life and wellbeing of mothers hence developing an evidence-based approached as part of pandemic preparedness would improve mental health during challenging times.