Abstract:

Pregnancy is a life event often associated with positive emotions. However, this process can be experienced as a stressful life event because it involves physical, psychological and social changes that some women cannot easily adapt to. Exposure of pregnant women to situations such as medical complications, natural disasters and disease outbreaks during pregnancy, which is a period when mental problems increase, can increase mental health problems. Since December 2019, there has been a devastating global health crisis with the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The increasing morbidity and mortality rates associated with this viral infection and the social and physical measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have brought serious disruptions to people's social connections and normal routines of daily life. These social support interruptions during pregnancy, which is one of the vital crisis periods, play a role in increasing the stress factor of the individual. Social support acts as a protective factor against negative mental health challenges resulting from epidemics and natural disasters. There is also evidence that social support moderates the impact of cognitive appraisal, attitude, and perceived stress on well-being. On the one hand, the responsibility of pregnancy and the mental adaptation of the woman to these roles, on the other hand, the insufficient data on the effects of COVID-19 on the fetus and question marks such as how the birth will take place can cause anxiety and mental disorders in pregnant women. It has been reported that social support mechanisms are important in anxiety and mental health problems experienced by pregnant women and that pregnant women need nurse/midwife follow-up. In this review, mental health problems encountered during pregnancy during the COVID-19 epidemic, the importance of social support and nursing approach will be discussed.

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