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Maternal Mental Health, COVID-19-Related Distress, and Disruptions in Lifestyle Behaviors Among Postpartum Mothers with a Previous Hypertensive Disorder of Pregnancy

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Background

Many perinatal people experienced pandemic-related distress and changes in health behaviors at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but less is known about how the pandemic continued to impact their health.

Objective

The authors of this study examined the influence of pandemic-related distress and maternal mental health on postpartum lifestyle behaviors of mothers with a previous hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.

Methods

Between September 2021 and March 2022, 82 postpartum (19.2 ± 5.5 months) mothers with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy completed measures of pandemic-related distress and pandemic-related disruption in lifestyle behaviors from the Coronavirus Perinatal Experiences Impact Survey. A Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥ 10 and a score ≥ 3 on the Breslau scale indicated significant depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, respectively.

Results

Twenty-two (27.2%) and 30 (36.6%) participants had significant depressive or PTSD symptoms, respectively. In models adjusted for education, income, parity, delivery prepandemic or peripandemic, intervention group, and prepregnancy mental health history, both PTSD symptoms (B = 0.229, P =.029) and pandemic-related distress (B = 0.492, P < .001) associated with greater disruption in health behaviors. Depressive symptoms did not associate with greater disruption in health behaviors (B = 0.169, P =.135).

Conclusion

Monitoring PTSD symptoms may be vital in supporting mothers with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in making lifestyle changes to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1097/JCN.0000000000001038

APA Citation

Scott, J., Alisse Hauspurg, Davis, E. M., Bryan, S., & Catov, J. M. (2023). Maternal Mental Health, COVID-19–Related Distress, and Disruptions in Lifestyle Behaviors Among Postpartum Mothers With a Previous Hypertensive Disorder of Pregnancy. The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 39(4), 318–324.https://doi.org/10.1097/JCN.0000000000001038

Rights

© 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. | Content use for text and data mining and artificial intelligence training is not permitted. For all open access content, the relevant licensing terms apply.

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