Depressive symptoms in mothers with infants: The quantitative evidence of the association of COVID-19 crisis-related factors in Japan

Objective: This study explores the depressive symptoms in postpartum women during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis in Japan. Methods: An online survey conducted from 31 May to 6 June, 2020 resulted in 3,073 responses obtained from mothers with infants < 12 months. Results: The point prevalence of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score of ≥ 9 was 28.66% for primipara and 25.83% for multipara. Logistic regression analysis indicated a negative association between the COVID-19 crisis and EPDS ≥ 9; specifically, decreased social support and financial concern were identified as risk factors. The COVID-19 related experiences significantly increased the score of each factor of EPDS, i.e., anxiety, anhedonia, and depression. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 crisis, the number of mothers who faced depreciation in social support and income had increased. Moreover, spending their perinatal period during the crisis increased the propensity of facing unexpected changes, such as changes of hospitals for delivery, or cancellation of parenting classes. These multiple factors were associated with an elevated risk of depression in postpartum women. In a prolonged crisis, postpartum mental health should be treated carefully with the prevention of infection.