Virginia Harrison
Dr Virginia Harrison is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at The Open University, UK. Her current research primarily focuses mental health and wellbeing, and eHealth; and she is particularly interested in cohorts who experience elevated levels of stress due to the context they are in, in particular women in the perinatal period, and those occupationally exposed to stressful situations. As part of this work, she recently set up a website to provide evidence-based information and support for women experiencing perinatal anxiety:OpenPAWS.co.uk
“So you didn’t feel so alone”: The value of online support for new mothers with perinatal anxiety, especially in isolation
Having a new baby can be exciting but it can also be difficult, and finding support for dealing with feelings of depression or anxiety can be an added challenge. This challenge is enhanced by isolation, such as during the current global pandemic. In this blog post, the author of a new qualitative study in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth discusses factors that contribute to perinatal anxiety and ways that women who are experiencing symptoms can seek support online.
Perinatal anxiety, which refers to the experience of distressing anxiety symptoms during pregnancy and up to a year after childbirth, is fairly common. In fact, research suggests under ‘normal circumstances’ around 1 in 5 women may experience significant levels of anxiety in the perinatal period. However, it seems likely that this proportion may be even higher as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, and preliminary evidence we are collecting appears to support this idea.
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