Browsing throughout pregnancy: The longitudinal course of social media use during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The number of people using social media has substantially increased over the past years. Previous studies have shown associations between social media overuse and mental health problems during pregnancy. The current study evaluates changes in social media use during pregnancy. METHODS: Pregnant women were recruited at their first antenatal appointment between January 2020 and July 2022 (N = 1135). The time spent on social media, frequency of social media use and problematic social media use, using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), were assessed at 12, 20 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Pearson r correlations and repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to assess possible changes in social media use over the course of pregnancy. Lastly, we stratified social media use throughout pregnancy for parity. RESULTS: There was a significant change in social media use over time, for the time spent on social media, frequency of social media use and problematic social media use. Mean social media scores were the lowest at 12 weeks of pregnancy and increased significantly at 20 weeks of pregnancy, after which they remained stable at 28 weeks. Compared to multiparous women, primiparous women spent more time on social media at 20 weeks of pregnancy, but not at 12 or 28 weeks. CONCLUSION: Because overuse of social media has been associated with poor mental health, healthcare professionals should be aware of the intensity of social media use throughout pregnancy.

Social media use as a risk factor for depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating research has shown associations between excessive social media use (SMU) with depressive symptoms. Depression is common during pregnancy, but it is not known whether SMU plays a role in the etiology and clinical course of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. METHODS: The current study is a prospective cohort study with Dutch-speaking pregnant women recruited at the first antenatal appointment (N = 697). Depressive symptoms were measured at each trimester of pregnancy using the Edinburgh Depression Scale. Growth mixture modeling was used to determine classes of women based on longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms. SMU was assessed at 12 weeks of pregnancy, specifically, intensity (time and frequency) and problematic SMU (Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between SMU and trajectories of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Three trajectories of depressive symptoms during pregnancy were identified: a low stable (N = 489, 70.2 %), intermediate stable (N = 183, 26.3 %), and high stable (N = 25, 3.6 %) class. SMU Time and Frequency were significantly associated with belonging to the high stable class. Problematic SMU was significantly associated with belonging to the intermediate or high stable class. LIMITATIONS: The study does not allow to draw conclusions about causality. The group sizes of the three trajectories differed considerably. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic which may have influenced the results. SMU was measured by self-report. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that both higher intensity of SMU (time and frequency) and problematic SMU may be a risk factor for higher levels of prenatal depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

The association of unplanned pregnancy with perinatal depression: a longitudinal cohort study.

Perinatal depression is common, affecting approximately 7-13% of women. Studies have shown an association between unplanned pregnancy and perinatal depressive symptoms, but many used a cross-sectional design and limited postnatal follow-up. The current study investigated the association of unplanned pregnancy with perinatal depressive symptoms using a longitudinal cohort study that followed women from the first trimester until 12 months postpartum. Pregnant women (N = 1928) provided demographic and clinical data and information about pregnancy intention at the first trimester. Depressive symptoms were assessed during each trimester of pregnancy and five times postpartum using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) until 12 months postpartum. Mixed model analyses were used to investigate the association between an unplanned pregnancy and the level of depressive symptoms. Women with an unplanned pregnancy (N = 111, 5.8%) reported persistently higher levels of depressive symptoms during the entire perinatal period compared to women with a planned pregnancy, after adjustment for confounders (p < 0.001). However, the course of depressive symptom scores over time in women with an unplanned pregnancy was similar to that of women with a planned pregnancy. Lower age (p = 0.006), unemployment (p = 0.004), and history of depression (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with higher levels of perinatal depressive symptoms. An unplanned pregnancy may have a long-lasting negative impact on a woman's perinatal mental health. Therefore, women with an unplanned pregnancy may benefit from systematic follow-up during the perinatal period with contingent mental health support.

Development of the COVID-19 Perinatal Perception Questionnaire (COVID19-PPQ).

The COVID-19 pandemic affects the mental health status of perinatal women, which makes it important to gain insight into and to effectively measure specific stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we aimed to develop a COVID-19 Perinatal Perception Questionnaire (COVID19-PPQ). In-depth interviews were conducted during the first national lockdown period with pregnant women, new mothers and perinatal healthcare professionals, resulting in (a) a 27-item pregnancy and (b) a 21-item postpartum scale. Explorative factor analyses (EFA) in sample Ia (N = 154) and Ib (N = 90), and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in sample IIa (N = 113) and IIb (N = 81) were conducted to test the psychometric properties of both scales. For the pregnancy scale, EFA suggested a three-factor solution (risk of infection, contact, future), which was confirmed by CFA and resulted in a final nine-item scale. For the postpartum scale, a three-factor solution (first postpartum week, COVID-19 measures, fear for infection) was suggested by EFA and confirmed by CFA, resulting in a final ten-item scale. Symptoms of depression and pregnancy-specific distress were significantly correlated with the pregnancy (sub)scale(s), while symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety showed significant correlations with the COVID-19 measures and fear for infection subscale. The COVID19-PPQ seems to be a valid instrument for assessment of perinatal COVID-19-related stress perception, showing adequate psychometric properties for both the pregnancy and postpartum scale. Future research should examine the use of this instrument in clinical practice during new episodes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 outbreak increases maternal stress during pregnancy, but not the risk for postpartum depression.

The COVID-19 pandemic affects society and may especially have an impact on mental health of vulnerable groups, such as perinatal women. This prospective cohort study of 669 participating women in the Netherlands compared perinatal symptoms of depression and stress during and before the pandemic. After a pilot in 2018, recruitment started on 7 January 2019. Up until 1 March 2020 (before the pandemic), 401 women completed questionnaires during pregnancy, of whom 250 also completed postpartum assessment. During the pandemic, 268 women filled out at least one questionnaire during pregnancy and 59 postpartum (1 March-14 May 2020). Pregnancy-specific stress increased significantly in women during the pandemic. We found no increase in depressive symptoms during pregnancy nor an increase in incidence of high levels of postpartum depressive symptoms during the pandemic. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for increased stress in pregnant women during the pandemic.