Maternal bonding and psychological symptoms among women with and without COVID-19 infection: a comparative cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic involved infection-control measures and changes in maternity care that may have increased psychological stress and affected early mother-infant bonding, particularly among women infected at delivery. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare postpartum depressive symptoms, anxiety levels, and mother-infant bonding among women with positive versus negative COVID-19 PCR test results at the time of delivery. METHODS: The study included 107 postpartum women (53 COVID-19 positive, 54 COVID-19 negative). Participants completed a sociodemographic form, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire within the first few days of postpartum hospitalization. RESULTS: COVID-19-positive women had significantly higher depressive symptoms, state anxiety, and bonding difficulty scores. In both groups, depressive and anxiety symptoms were positively correlated with bonding problems, with stronger associations in the positive group. In multivariate analyses, depressive symptoms and particularly state anxiety remained independently associated with bonding difficulties, whereas COVID-19 status was no longer significantly associated after adjustment for anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the importance of considering care practices that support both maternal mental health and healthy mother-infant bonding when planning maternity services during public health emergencies.