Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety Among Pregnant Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and aims: Due to the adverse consequences of depression and anxiety during pregnancy for both mothers and fetuses, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression and anxiety among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: International databases, including Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, in addition to Google Scholar, were searched up to November 11, 2022. All studies that investigated the prevalence of depression and anxiety among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Studies that used non-random sampling methods, case reports, studies that did not provide sufficient data for analysis, low-quality studies, and those that had estimated depression and anxiety after childbirth were eliminated. The Cochrane Q Test and the I2 index were utilized to determine the heterogeneity of the studies. Data were analyzed using STATA version 14, with statistical significance set at P<0.05. Results: A total of 27 studies conducted on 44573 participants were investigated. The results showed that the pooled prevalence of depression and anxiety among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic was 27% and 25%, respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of mild, moderate, and major depression was 23%, 11%, and 3%, respectively. Finally, the prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe anxiety was 20%, 14%, and 5%, respectively. Conclusion: Approximately one out of every three pregnant women suffered from depression, and one out of every four suffered from some degree of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.