Postpartum during COVID-19 pandemic: Portuguese mothers' mental health, mindful parenting, and mother-infant bonding

Background Millions of people worldwide have been diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has impacted maternal mental health and mother-infant relationships during the postpartum period. Objectives To explore how mothers' anxious and depressive symptoms, parenting stress, mindful parenting, and mother-infant bonding vary as a function of the moment of the baby's birth (pre-COVID-19 or post-COVID-19) and to examine the contribution of those variables to mother-infant bonding. Methods The sample was recruited online and comprises 567 mothers (18-46 years) with an infant aged between 0 and 12 months old. Results Approximately 27.5% of the mothers presented clinically significant levels of anxious and depressive symptoms. Mothers who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic presented lower levels of Emotional Awareness of the Child and a more impaired mother-infant bonding than mothers who gave birth before the pandemic started. Approximately 49% of the mother-infant bonding variance was explained by parenting stress and by several dimensions of mindful parenting. Conclusion Our findings provide important insights into the impact of COVID-19 on maternal mental health and parenting.

Automated summary

The study found that nearly a quarter of mothers in the postpartum period exhibited clinically significant levels of anxious and depressive symptoms. Mothers who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic had lower levels of mother-infant bonding compared to those who gave birth before the pandemic. Parenting stress and mindful parenting were significant factors contributing to mother-infant bonding.