By Joy Burkhard, MBA
Founder and Executive Director, 2020 Mom

This month the articles that caught my eye include:

Articles documenting research which confirms what we expected, increased risk of anxiety and depression due to COVID,
A new recommendation for screening for anxiety in teens and perinatal women and,
Announcement of a new NIH tool to identify which hospitals have the highest rates of preventable maternal complications, and more.

Screening for Anxiety in Adolescent and Adult Women: A Recommendation From the Women's Preventive Services Initiative

The WPSI recommends screening for anxiety in women and adolescent girls aged 13 years or older who are not currently diagnosed with anxiety disorders, including pregnant and postpartum women.

Read more here.

U.S. Adults Report Worse Pandemic Effects Than Those In Other Wealthy Countries

People in the U.S. are faring much worse as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic than those in other wealthy nations, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report that surveyed nearly 8,300 adults in 10 countries. Here's more:

Mental health: 1 in 3 people in the U.S. reported mental health concerns, compared to 26% of people in Canada or the U.K.

During the crisis, individuals, depending on circumstances, may experience anger, anxiety, avoidance, boredom, confusion, decreased concentration, depression, detachment, emotional exhaustion, insomnia, isolation, grief, guilt, sadness or other symptoms,” says Michael Morgenstern, MD, who is board-certified in both neurology and sleep medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. “The severity of these feelings, and our ability to cope with them so that they don’t interfere with our daily function, is important. Unfortunately, some individuals may be impaired in the short term, and a subset of these individuals may have to confront longer-lasting psychological impact.”

Read more here.

Some Anti-Hypertensives Could Lower Risk of Depression

People with high blood pressure, heart disease, or cerebrovascular disease have a higher risk of also being depressed, but a large, new study finds that some common medications to treat cardiovascular conditions may lower that risk. More than 3.7 million people in Denmark who took one of 41 common anti-hypertensives and who had no history of depression were followed for a decade between 2005 and 2015. None of these medications increased the risk of depression, while nine of the drugs — including some beta-blockers — seemed to lower the risk. The findings don't establish a direct relationship, but the authors suggest that physicians could consider the results of the study to guide prescribing of blood pressure medication for patients at risk of developing depression.

Read more here.

Use of a Common Antidepressant During Pregnancy Could Lead to Birth Defects in Newborns

Expectant mothers who use a common antidepressant during pregnancy may be likelier to deliver babies with birth defects, according to a new study. Up to 8% of pregnant women are prescribed antidepressants, and scientists in recent years have sought to understand how these drugs affect infants. And while birth defects are rare, venlafaxine, or Effexor, was linked with the most birth defects, including congenital heart defects. This association existed even after the scientists accounted for other underlying conditions. The study used data from two groups of U.S. women — over 1,500 mothers of babies with birth defects, and nearly 500 mothers of infants without congenital defects — who used one of six common antidepressants. The study doesn't establish cause and effect, so more research is needed to determine the role of specific antidepressants on birth defects.

Read more here.

New NIH Tool Compares Rates of Severe Pregnancy Complications Across U.S. Hospitals

NIH-funded researchers have developed a new system External Web Site Policy for classifying severe maternal morbidity—life-threatening complications associated with childbirth—across U.S. hospitals. The system relies on patient discharge data to compare rates of severe maternal morbidity between different hospitals and different groups of patients.

Read more here.

Half of Italian COVID-19 Survivors Had Subsequent Psychiatric Disorders

According to the analysis, which examined 402 COVID-19 survivors, about 55% of Italian adults ages 18 to 87 who recovered from a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection had self-rated in the clinical range for at least one mental disorder, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or anxiety.

Read more here.

NBC News: Pregnant in a Pandemic - How COVID-19 Stress May Affect Growing Babies

Unlike Zika, there is no evidence that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy directly impacts the growing fetus. But the stress of being pregnant during the pandemic might.

Read more here.

Do you have thoughts on any of these articles? If so, share your thoughts with us by commenting below.