Anxiety of Pregnant Women Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Coping Methods

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the anxiety experienced by pregnant women due to the coronavirus pandemic and the methods of coping with this anxiety. Methods: The research was carried out analytically and cross-sectionally in the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic of a public hospital between June and December 2020. The population of the study consisted of pregnant women who applied to this polyclinic, and the sample consisted of 230 pregnant women. The data were collected with the "Pregnant Information Form and State Anxiety Scale". Results: The State Anxiety Scale mean score of the pregnant women participating in the study was 47.92 ± 4.82, 90.4% of them had high levels of anxiety, 49.4% of the pregnant women who had anxiety made an attempt to cope with their anxiety, and at the beginning of these interventions, they followed general contraception methods (27.8%), praying (20.0%), not leaving the house and not accepting guests (18.3%). Conclusion: In our study, it was concluded that pregnant women experienced high levels of anxiety due to COVID-19 infection, and that the ages of pregnant women and their spouses, their perception of income levels, family types, weeks of pregnancy, and the number of living children and pregnancies affected the anxiety of pregnant women. It can be recommended that midwives question the fears and anxieties of pregnant women while giving care, and provide necessary counseling for pregnant women to cope with their anxieties.