Even though for majority of women pregnancy period is a blessed period of their life but a few expecting women encountered a range of negative emotions in those ninth months which lead to depression and anxiety. Maternal mental health issues are interlinked with both short- and long-term health risks for the affected female parent and as well as for the child. The entire health and functional performance of the mother along with the children's mental, physiological and cognitive development is affected by the disrupting mental health situation of the mother. The risks of morbidities which are caused by the psychological problems such as intense stress, natural disasters and accidents and conflict situation could be increased among the perinatal mothers. As a result, it is possible that obstetric women are more exposed to mental health related issues during the pandemic of COVID-19. It is concluded that development of appropriate strategies is important to reduce stress by diagnosing and managing mental health diseases in new mothers without delay at the time of pandemic. Screening techniques based on internet, online counseling and web-related psychological assistance and therapeutic interventions might produce a significant role in this regard. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
Mental health crisis in pregnant women during current COVID-19 pandemic