DataSheet1_Maternal Perceived Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Pre-Existing Risk Factors and Concurrent Correlates in New York City Women.docx

Objective: We examined whether pre-pandemic mental health and sociodemographic characteristics increased the susceptibility of pregnant women and mothers of young children to stress in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Between April and August 2020, we surveyed 1560 women participating in a sociodemographically diverse birth cohort in New York City. Women reported their perceived stress, resiliency, and financial, familial/societal, and health-related concerns. We extracted pre-pandemic information from questionnaires and electronic health records.
Results: Pre-pandemic history of depression, current financial difficulties, and COVID-19 infection were the main risk factors associated with high perceived stress. Being Hispanic and having higher resiliency scores and preexisting social support were protective against high perceived stress. Major contributors to current perceived stress were financial and familial/societal factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among pregnant women, changes to prenatal care were common, as were changes to experiences following birth among postpartum women and difficulties in arranging childcare among mothers of young children.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that major risk factors of higher stress during the pandemic were similar to those of other major traumatic events.

研究目标：本研究旨在探究新冠疫情早期阶段，疫情前的心理健康与社会人口学特征（sociodemographic characteristics）是否会提升孕妇及幼儿母亲的应激易感性。
研究方法：2020年4月至8月期间，我们对纽约市参与社会人口学特征多样化出生队列（birth cohort）研究的1560名女性开展了问卷调查。受访女性报告了自身的感知压力（perceived stress）、心理复原力（resiliency），以及财务、家庭/社会与健康相关的担忧。我们从问卷及电子健康档案（electronic health records）中提取了疫情前的相关信息。
研究结果：疫情前抑郁病史、当前财务困境以及新冠病毒（COVID-19）感染是与高感知压力相关的主要危险因素。西班牙裔身份、较高的复原力得分以及既往社会支持则对高感知压力具有保护作用。当前感知压力的主要驱动因素为与新冠疫情相关的财务与家庭/社会因素。在孕妇群体中，产前护理（prenatal care）调整较为普遍；产后女性（postpartum women）则常出现产后经历变化，而幼儿母亲则面临托儿安排困难的问题。
研究结论：本研究结果显示，疫情期间应激水平升高的主要危险因素与其他重大创伤性事件的危险因素相似。