Some 17.6% of Albanian women reported having postpartum depression and one in four had clinically significant symptoms during the years of the pandemic, according to a study published by Israeli researchers.
Postpartum depression affects mothers shortly after giving birth and if left untreated, can last for months or even years. There is a significant stigma around the condition, as women are often expected and pressured to be ‘happy’ following the birth of a child.
The study look at data from 12 countries and compared the incidence of PPD as well as the influence of factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The other countries included Israel, Bulgaria, the UK, Malta, Spain, Turkey and Chile. Some 7642 women were surveyed overall.
Overall, the study found that unemployed women were up to three times more likely to suffer from postpartum depression, than those with a job.
The research also found that the prenatal period was a common time for women to experience mental distress. Some 15% of women develop anxiety or depression during pregnancy, with COVID-19 proving a major stressor.
Researchers noted women reported “the fear of being infected during pregnancy or that the baby would be infected as well as fear of the consequences of the virus on the fetus.”
