Impact of COVID-19 on psychosocial functioning of peripartum women: A qualitative study comprising focus group discussions and in-depth interviews

Objective Peripartum is a period of profound hormonal changes in the body and COVID-19 seems to have an additional impact on these women's psychosocial functioning. This calls for a need to address the psychosocial and behavioural impact of COVID-19 on peripartum women's lives. Methods Three focus group discussions and ten in-depth interviews were conducted. A format to guide discussions and interviews was made to bring uniformity across groups and participants. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling. In verbatim transcription was done, followed by thematic analysis to extract key conceptual themes. Results Fourteen pregnant and eleven postpartum women were included. The mean age was 28.5 years. Two major domains were identified: 1) the psychological domain including the categories of thoughts, emotions, and behaviour, and 2) the social domain comprising categories of relationships with family members and friends, perceived loss of social support, doctor-patient relationship, and social determinants of health. Conclusion The pandemic has indeed affected the psychosocial functioning of peripartum women. The study results might prove to be helpful for clinicians and mental health specialists who can suggest and develop different coping strategies for peripartum women during this pandemic.

Automated summary

The study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psychosocial functioning of peripartum women, highlighting the need for different coping strategies to be suggested and developed by clinicians and mental health specialists.