Psychologists Create Free Tool To Help New Parents Cope With Anxiety During COVID-19

At the best of times, the level of worry can be intense, constant, and all-consuming. Is the baby developing well? Did I drink too much coffee today? Should I have eaten this, was there any soft cheese in it! ? Does this person smoke? Can I lie on my stomach just a little? What if I can’t soothe my baby? What happens if I can’t sleep anymore? The perinatal period – the time of conception to a year after birth – is wonderful, uplifting, and smelly: endless, squeaky hormones and anxiety. Now add a pandemic to the mix.

The stress of growing, nurturing and protecting a baby is magnified in the context of a global pandemic and clinical psychologist Dr. Kristin Reynolds, assistant professor in the department of psychology at UM, and her colleagues. UM colleagues, Drs. Patricia Furer and Gillian Alcolado set out to create something to help allay some of the anxieties new parents face in these times.

The UM team created Overcome Perinatal Anxiety, an evidence-based, self-directed online program to help pregnant and postpartum women better understand and develop strategies to manage anxiety during a global pandemic.

“Our program helps people understand and recognize the signs and symptoms of anxiety and associated mental health issues during pregnancy and postpartum. This is especially important now, with increasing rates of. anxiety and depression during the pandemic, ”says Reynolds, a mother herself and the study’s lead investigator. “Other important topics include self-care (identify needs and create space for them), examine the expectations that pregnant and postpartum women set themselves to do and be everything (the myth of the supermom) and question those expectations, and develop a relationship with the fetus and the growing baby once born. “

The free six-module Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program builds on the program Reynolds and his team have been leading since 2015 at St. Boniface Hospital and the UM Psychological Services Center. But now, as researchers, they’re curious whether their proven program can be adapted for COVID, both in content and delivery – as many mental health services fill up, the UM team wanted to design something that might help people now.

“The main problem that led us to develop this program is access. Access evidence-based services now, on a smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer. We know, as parents, as well as researchers, that being pregnant and postpartum is a wonderful time, but it’s also a challenge, and wait times for virtual or in person. mental health services can be long. So by offering online programming, we wanted to meet people where they were and increase accessibility and hopefully reduce rates of anxiety, depression and improve attachment to their pregnancy and their life. developing baby.

Funded by Research Manitoba, Reynolds and colleagues will assess the acceptability and effectiveness of the new iteration of their program: How pregnant and postpartum people engage with the program and what comments do they have; and are the payouts similar in the new self-directed format? The team will then determine if and how it can be deployed across the country. One idea is to have it supported by local local organizations that can offer virtual peer support to parents in need.

Indeed, one of the most common causes of anxiety new parents identified during COVID were the lost supports, such as no partner in ultrasound exams, and no grandparents or friends to help babysit.