Women Are Not Ok: Anxiety Spectrum Disorder And Women During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has affected the general/physical and mental health worldwide to a great extent. Several studies have indicated that  men and  women will develop some type of anxiety disorder during their lifetime. The impact of gender is profound as it increases the likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder more in women compared to men. However, the same impact could be                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       seen during the pandemic too in women. Considering the current situations the study has focused to explore the emergence of Anxiety Spectrum Disorder and Behavioural Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic in women and also to provide an intervention plan for effective management. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale was used to screen out anxiety, and then an interview schedule was used where the open-ended items of Anxiety spectrum disorders were included. The scale was administered on 40 women within the age range of 30-50 years from India, out of which 35 women were selected with Anxiety spectrum disorder and then continued with further interviews. Content analysis was done with the gathered data. The findings indicated that women reported several worries, especially about the stigma of COVID-19 infection, support for infant care, and access to infant health services. Psychiatric illness in the form of Anxiety Spectrum  such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) like continuous hand washing, several doubts about the illness and secondly Panic attacks was found. Most importantly predisposing factor played an important role. Patient-tailored psychological support should be a mainstay of comprehensive antenatal medical care to avoid anxiety- and stress-related complications.