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COVID-19 experiences and persistent maternal mental health symptoms: Examining the role of long COVID, self-efficacy, and partner support

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2025

Fabiola Silletti Open the ORCID record for Fabiola Silletti [Opens in a new window] ,
Amanda Koire ,
Candice Ma ,
Hung-Chu Lin ,
Leena Mittal ,
Joshua L. Roffman ,
Carmina Erdei ,
Pasquale Musso Open the ORCID record for Pasquale Musso [Opens in a new window]  and
Cindy H. Liu Open the ORCID record for Cindy H. Liu [Opens in a new window]
Fabiola Silletti
Affiliation:
Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Amanda Koire
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Candice Ma
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Hung-Chu Lin
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Department of Psychology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA
Leena Mittal
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Joshua L. Roffman
Affiliation:
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Carmina Erdei
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Pasquale Musso
Affiliation:
Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
Cindy H. Liu*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
*
Corresponding author: Cindy H. Liu; Email: chliu@bwh.harvard.edu
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Abstract

Perinatal women were particularly impacted during the pandemic, with documented consequences for both mothers’ and infants’ well-being. This study investigated the longitudinal relationships between COVID-19-related experiences during the peripartum and women’s depression and anxiety symptoms at long-term follow-up. We explored the moderating role of long COVID for the first time, along with perceived partner support and maternal self-efficacy. A sample of 190 US perinatal women completed a survey from May 21, 2020, to September 15, 2021 (T1), and again between December 14, 2022, and February 14, 2024 (T2). The survey assessed COVID-19-related experiences, mental health, long COVID, maternal self-efficacy, partner support, and life events. Anxiety was associated with both long COVID and decreased partner support, and both depression and anxiety were linked to lower self-efficacy. A larger number of COVID-19-related experiences during the peripartum period was associated with higher levels of later depression and anxiety symptoms. Long COVID exacerbated these links, while partner support buffered them. Maternal self-efficacy dampened the association between COVID-19-related experiences and subsequent depression, but not anxiety. Findings suggest that COVID-19 has lasting effects on perinatal women’s mental health, with partner support and maternal self-efficacy acting as resilience factors, highlighting the potential benefit of targeted interventions to enhance these modifiable factors.

Keywords

Peripartummental healthlong COVIDpartner supportself-efficacy

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Type
Regular Article
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Development and Psychopathology , First View , pp. 1 - 10
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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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