Written By: IJCP Editorial Team

Published On: 15 Apr, 2023 12:52 PM | Updated On: 18 May, 2024 11:56 PM

COVID-19 Pandemic and a New Mother’s Sense of Loneliness

The year of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic saw an altered sense of loneliness among new mothers. 

A recent study aimed to assess a new mother’s perspective on crucial post-pandemic loneliness-reducing strategies.

This study entailed an online survey including mothers who participated in a questionnaire. Specific inquiries were made regarding the home childcare environment, experiences of anxiety and loneliness, and  

Methods: We conducted an online survey of mothers. The questionnaire had sections regarding the home childcare environment, her anxiety and sense of loneliness levels, and suggestions related to the choice of consultations.

The result depicted that 58.6% of the new mothers reported feeling lonely over the recent past (30 days). Factors that enhanced this experience included – lack of professional engagement, no help from family and friends during the first month after childbirth, anxiety about child-rearing or the economic situation, lack of family emotional support, lack of friends and neighbors to discuss their problems with, and limited access to or avoidance of pediatric clinic consultations. 

Mothers lacking immediate family and friends’ support and consolation felt greater loneliness. A large part of such feelings arose from isolation and limited access to pediatric care and support for the baby owing to the pandemic scare. 

Thus, the involvement of family and friends in child-rearing should be promoted. Professional psychological support is warranted for new mothers, and factors that accentuate feelings of social isolation must be avoided. 

Source: Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics. Volume 11, Number 4, December 2022, pages 101-107