OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-08-10DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303178
Melissa Harris-Gersten, Florence U Johnson, Josie Granner, S. Hastings
{"title":"“Welcome to Our World”: Experiences of Persons Living with Dementia Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Melissa Harris-Gersten, Florence U Johnson, Josie Granner, S. Hastings","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303178","url":null,"abstract":"People diagnosed with dementia are experts on living with the disease, yet their perspectives are often overlooked in research and practice. The pandemic has amplified health inequities among older adults, but the impact of the pandemic on the lived experience of people living with dementia remains unclear. This qualitative study used a series of 2 virtual focus groups with people living with dementia (N = 7) to explore challenging situations and emotions experienced by community-dwelling people living with dementia prior to and during the pandemic. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using narrative thematic analysis with themes finalized through consensus among a 3-member coding team. Two themes with corresponding subthemes emerged: humanizing dementia (subthemes: early experiences with cognitive impairment, health care experiences, overstimulation, activism, tools to live well with dementia) and “welcome to our world” (subthemes: loss, stress, health impacts). Participants faced challenges prior to and during the pandemic that impeded their ability to live well with the disease. In the midst of the disruption of the pandemic, society saw a glimpse of what it was like to live with dementia due to restrictions that limited access to supports, resources, routines, and socialization. Despite significant barriers, people living with dementia identified many strategies to humanize their experience including the use of humor, activism, and social support. Insights of people living with dementia in this study can be used to inspire a shift in the narrative of dementia as a disability to one of strength, ability, and living well.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42927844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-08-07DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303177
Boram Lee, Hyelin Jeong
{"title":"The Psychometric Properties of the COVID Stress Scales in Korean University Students","authors":"Boram Lee, Hyelin Jeong","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303177","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated disruptions have significantly impacted university students’ lives worldwide. The COVID Stress Scale (CSS) is a 36-item self-reporting instrument designed to measure stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study purposed to examine the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the CSS for use with Korean university students. The study sample comprised 402 undergraduate students enrolled in a four-year private university in central South Korea. This cross-sectional investigation employed an anonymous online survey conducted during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The forward-backward translation method was adopted to convert the original English version of the CSS to Korean. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to determine the structure of the CSS. Convergent validity was assessed using correlation analysis with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). McDonald’s omega and Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients were used to evaluate reliability. The results revealed that a bifactor model specifying general factors and the six specific factors of danger, contamination, socioeconomic characteristics, xenophobia, traumatic stress symptoms, and compulsive checking and reassurance seeking provided the best fit among all alternatives. Further investigations demonstrated that the general factor of COVID-19-related stress accounted for the majority of CSS variances than the six specific factors. The results highlighted the unidimensionality of the measure. Additionally, the actions displayed excellent internal consistency. Our findings endorse the use of the Korean version of the CSS as a tool for measureing general stress experienced in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic and we support using the instrument’s total score in this context.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45599168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-08-04DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303176
F. Qassimi, S. Boujraf, Adam Khlifi, G. Lamgari, Zineb El Bourachedy, Aarab Chadya, Aalouane Rachid, B. Amine
{"title":"Substance Use Disorder, Alexithymia, and Personality Disorders, What is the Link? Pilot African Study","authors":"F. Qassimi, S. Boujraf, Adam Khlifi, G. Lamgari, Zineb El Bourachedy, Aarab Chadya, Aalouane Rachid, B. Amine","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303176","url":null,"abstract":"Alexithymia and personality disorders are common in substance use (SUD) patients. This association remains understudied and is considered to hurt the course and management of substance use disorder patients. To determine the prevalence of personality disorders (PD) and alexithymia in addiction care patients. Besides, we targeted investigating a possible link between alexithymia, different personality disorders and clinical aspects of substance use disorder including severity. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Addictology Center of the university hospital of Fez. We recruited 54 patients with a confirmed substance use disorder according to the DSM 5 criteria. We used the psychometric scales of alexithymia (TAS-20) and the personality assessment scale (PDQ-4+). The average age of our sample was 27.07 ± 8.22. The percentage of poly-consumers of psychoactive substances was around 93%. The alexithymia patients constituted 48% of the sample. We found a significant association between alexithymia and the severity of SUD p-value of 0.033. Alexithymia appeared to be significantly associated with ‘Cluster A’ of personality disorders p-value of 0.013 and more specifically with paranoid personality disorder p-value of 0.022. The mean PDQ-4+ score was significantly higher in the alexithymia group of patients (TAS-20 score ≥62) p-value of 0.047. 89% reported at least one specific personality disorder. Our results showed a significant association between the presence of a specific personality disorder and the existence of a severe substance use disorder p-value of 0.01. We also found that ‘Cluster A’ of personality disorder diagnoses are significantly frequent within the severe subgroup of SUD p-value of 0.042. Our study suggested an overrepresentation of alexithymia and personality disorders in patients followed for SUD. It showed a direct link between alexithymia and personality disorder on the one hand, and the severity of the substance use disorder on the other. Extensive studies are required to fully elucidate the weight of alexithymia in SUD and PD. Such investigations would improve the therapeutical approach and the outcome.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48855434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-07-21DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303175
T. Huyen, Ngoan Duong Thi, G. Minh, Van Thi Hai Hoang
{"title":"Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in General Population During COVID-19 Pandemic: An Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis","authors":"T. Huyen, Ngoan Duong Thi, G. Minh, Van Thi Hai Hoang","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303175","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303175","url":null,"abstract":"During the COVID-19 pandemic, global populations have experienced quarantine and lockdown restrictions, adversely affecting individuals' psychological well-being. This comprehensive review aims to estimate the prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within the general population amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing the PRISMA guideline, the databases PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Web of Science, Cochrane and Google Scholar were used in the data extraction process, and publications from December 2019 to 30th November 2022 were searched. A meta-analysis using the random effects model and an evaluation of heterogeneity using the I2 index was performed. The initial search yielded 264 studies, from which 11 were selected for this comprehensive review after eliminating duplicates and assessing study quality. The findings revealed an overall prevalence of PTSD among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic at 19.34% (95% CI: 16.29-22.38%; I2 = 40.44%; <0.1). Subgroup analysis based on region and scale did not reveal significant differences between groups. Future research should focus on conducting additional studies to examine the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health status of the general population worldwide.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49060487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-07-13DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303174
D. Melkonian, A. Korner, R. Meares, Anthony Harris
{"title":"Quantum and Component Analysis of P3a and P3b from Auditory Single Trial ERPs Differentiates Borderline Personality Disorder from Schizophrenia","authors":"D. Melkonian, A. Korner, R. Meares, Anthony Harris","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303174","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303174","url":null,"abstract":"Traditional approaches to EEG modelling use the methods of classical physics to reconstruct scalp potentials in terms of explicit physical models of cortical neuron ensembles. The principal difficulty with such approaches is that the multiplicity of cellular processes, with an intricate array of deterministic and random influencing factors, prevents the creation of consistent biophysical parameter sets. An original, empirically testable solution has been achieved in our previous studies by a radical departure from the deterministic equations of classical physics to the probabilistic reasoning of quantum mechanics. This crucial step relocates the models of elementary bioelectric sources of EEG signals from the cellular to the molecular level where ions are considered as elementary sources of electricity. The rationale is that, despite dramatic differences in cellular machineries, statistical factors governed by the rules of the central limit theorem produce the EEG waveform as a statistical aggregate of the synchronized activity of multiple microscale sources. Based on these innovations, we introduce a method of comprehensive computerized analysis of event related potentials directly from single trial recordings. This method provides a universal model of single trial ERP components in both frequency and time domains. For the first time, this tool provides effective quantification of all significant cognitive components in single trial ERPs and represents a viable alternative to the traditional method of averaging. We demonstrate the clinical significance of the additional information provided by the new method, using ERP data from patients with borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia. Referring to the P300 as an important objective marker of psychiatric disorders, we show that the new method reliably identifies P3a and P3b as the major components of the P3. The diagnostic significance of differentiating the P3a and P3b components of P3 is that it provides an objective electrophysiological measure that distinguishes borderline personality disorder from schizophrenia.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41867874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-07-03DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303173
T. Pretorius, A. Padmanabhanunni
{"title":"Predicting Suicide Risk among South African University Students: Optimal Cutoff Score for the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale","authors":"T. Pretorius, A. Padmanabhanunni","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303173","url":null,"abstract":"University students have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group for adverse mental health outcomes owing to the distinctive implications of the COVID-19 prevention measures on the educational sector. Even prior to the pandemic, university students were identified as being at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes and suicidality. Although various factors can enhance the risk of suicide, one of the strongest predictors of suicidality is the presence of depressive symptomology. The current study used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine the optimal cutoff score on the CES-D when screening for suicide risk in university students during COVID-19 in South Africa. Participants (n = 337) were students at a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa. The ROC analysis showed no statistically significant difference between men’s and women's area under the curve (AUC); thus, a single AUC can be used for the whole sample. The study found that a cutoff score of 30 with a sensitivity of 89.30 and a specificity of 62.60 represented an acceptable cutoff point. It is recommended that when the instrument is used among student populations, those with scores of 30 and above need to be followed up with a clinician-administered interview to confirm suicide risk and facilitate timely intervention.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42430021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-06-05DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302172
Abdulmalik Ahmad Lawan, Kamaluddeen Ibrahim Yarima, Hamisu Ibrahim Usman, Sani Isah Abba, Haruna Usman Yakubu, Abdullahi Garba Musa
{"title":"A Systematic Literature Review on the Efficacy of Emerging Computer Technologies in Inclusive Education for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder","authors":"Abdulmalik Ahmad Lawan, Kamaluddeen Ibrahim Yarima, Hamisu Ibrahim Usman, Sani Isah Abba, Haruna Usman Yakubu, Abdullahi Garba Musa","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302172","url":null,"abstract":"Including learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream classrooms is associated with challenges that could impede their academic participation. However, studies have shown the value of inclusive education, especially when supported with computer technologies, learners with ASD can effectively learn alongside their non-autistic peers. Despite that, there has been minimal research on ASD inclusion with emerging computer technologies. This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on the application of emerging computer technologies in supporting the inclusion of learners with ASD. By analyzing a wide range of scholarly articles, this research goes beyond the existing literature by thoroughly examining the unique contributions and advancements made in this field. The study findings revealed valuable strategies and technologies for ASD-inclusive education that could be utilized by educationists, researchers, and relevant stakeholders. Moreover, this research bridges the knowledge gap and provides a foundation for future investigations into effective and sustainable technological interventions for ASD-inclusive education.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45814380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-05-29DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302171
M. La Grua, G. Sindaco, M. Zanella, I. Grazzini, A. Musio, A. Merlini, Valentina Paci, Simone Vigneri, Carmela Bertone, G. Pari
{"title":"Is Electrocatheter-Mediated High-Voltage Pulsed Radiofrequency of the Dorsal Root Ganglion an Effective Adjuvant to Epidural Adhesiolysis in the Treatment of Chronic Lumbosacral Radicular Pain? A Retrospective Analysis","authors":"M. La Grua, G. Sindaco, M. Zanella, I. Grazzini, A. Musio, A. Merlini, Valentina Paci, Simone Vigneri, Carmela Bertone, G. Pari","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302171","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to determine if high-voltage PRF could effectively adjunct epidural adhesiolysis (EA) in treating patients with chronic lumbosacral radiating pain (LSRP) and neuropathic characteristics. A total of 409 patients suffering from a single leg-radiating pain lasting for > six months and unresponsive to previous treatments were divided into three different groups: Group 1 consisted of 227 patients suffering from LSRP in lumbar stenosis, 84 treated with EA alone and 143 with PRF-EA; group 2 consisted of 99 patients suffering from LSRP in FBSS (Failed Back Surgery Syndrome), 24 treated with EA alone and 75 with PRF-EA; group 3 consisted of 83 patients suffering for LSRP in discal herniation, 20 treated with EA and 63 with PRF-EA. NRS evaluated the outcome at rest and in movement, SF-12 Physical and Mental Health Summary Scales, and present pain intensity scale (PPI), before the treatment and at the 1-month follow-up for all the patients included in the study. Descriptive statistics (mean ± SD) were reported for NRSrest, NRSmov, PPI, PCS, and MCS scores. A dependent sample T-test was used to compare pre and post-treatment outcome measures (NRS, PPI, PCS, MCS), in patients treated for discal herniation, FBSS and stenosis, respectively. A potential difference in outcome between the different procedures performed in the three groups (EA + PRF versus EA alone) was analyzed by applying an independent two-tailed t-test. P value less than 0.05 represented a significant difference. A significant reduction of radiating pain was observed at one-month follow-up in NRSrest and NRSmov, PPI scores, for all the three groups of patients, independently of the treatment adopted (p < 0.001). PCS12 and MCS12 significantly increased for all three groups of patients at 1-month follow-up (p < 0.001). No significant differences in outcome were detected for both procedures (EA vs. PRF-EA) in all three groups (p > 0.05). PRF and PRF-EA effectively reduce neuropathic pain intensity and improve the quality of life in patients who suffer from lumbosacral radiating pain in the context of lumbar stenosis, FBSS, or discal herniation. Adding pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) to epidural adhesiolysis alone does not improve the outcome.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41714970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-05-23DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302170
Adam G. Evans, Brady Burns, Maryo M. Ibrahim, Tigran Kesayan, Krista N. Brooks-Horrar, Patrick E. Assi, Christopher Kalmar, Jeremy T. Joseph, Hamid Shah, Salam Al Kassis
{"title":"Headache Frequency and Pain Severity Following a Nerve Stimulator Implant for Chronic Migraine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","authors":"Adam G. Evans, Brady Burns, Maryo M. Ibrahim, Tigran Kesayan, Krista N. Brooks-Horrar, Patrick E. Assi, Christopher Kalmar, Jeremy T. Joseph, Hamid Shah, Salam Al Kassis","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302170","url":null,"abstract":"Migraines affect approximately one billion individuals worldwide. Implanted nerve stimulator devices can provide relief to some individuals who have chronic migraines refractory to other treatments. This study defines the change in headache pain severity and headache frequency following implanted nerve stimulator treatment in chronic migraineurs. A PRISMA-compliant systematic review of six databases was performed to identify all clinical trials treating at least 10 chronic migraineurs with an implanted nerve stimulator. Inverse variance random effects meta-analyses were performed to define the relative change in headache pain severity and headache frequency as compared to baseline. Nine studies met criteria, including 5 randomized controlled clinical trials and 4 uncontrolled clinical trials, and treated 559 individuals. Among studies that reported gender, 306 females and 154 males were treated. Mean patient ages ranged from 45 to 50 years. All included studies targeted the greater occipital nerve with an implanted nerve stimulator. Implanted nerve stimulator treatment reduced pain severity at 1 month by 36.42% (95%-CI: 28.35-44.49, I2 = 55%) and 3 months by 50.04% (95%-CI: 39.67-60.42%, I2 = 26%). Implanted nerve stimulators reduced headache frequency by 49.86% (95%-CI: 31.49-68.23, I2 = 92%) at 1 to 3 months and 27.43% (95%-CI: 17.68-37.18, I2 = 63%) at 6 to 97 months. Implanted nerve stimulator devices provide clinically and statistically significant improvements in headache severity and frequency in individuals with chronic migraines.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":"41 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41291556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OBM neurobiologyPub Date : 2023-05-15DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302169
Rezarta Lalo, F. Kamberi, Vjollca Ndreu
{"title":"A Cross-Sectional Study of COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Postpartum Women's Level of Anxiety, Depression and Breastfeeding Duration","authors":"Rezarta Lalo, F. Kamberi, Vjollca Ndreu","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302169","url":null,"abstract":"Pregnancy and postpartum periods are known as sensitive periods in women’s life and COVID-19 pandemic seems to be worsening their mental health with major impacts on exclusive breastfeeding duration. Therefore, the present study aims to fill the gap in the literature by assessing the links between postpartum anxiety and depression symptoms and breastfeeding duration as well as the associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. A longitudinal prospective observational study was conducted between November and December 2020 at the Maternity ward of Vlore Regional Hospital, Albania. A total of 321 postpartum women were invited to participate in the study, resulting in 215 participants with a response rate of 66.9%. Along with modified questions from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II (IFPS II) Neonatal Questionnaire on breastfeeding follow-up from birth to third and sixth months, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were used to measure anxiety and depression levels. The binomial logistic regression model was applied to reflect the relationship between variables with the corresponding p-value ≤ 0.05. The mean age of participants was 27.4 ± 5.32 years old. 41% of them experienced postpartum anxiety and 51% showed symptoms of depression. Unemployment (69%; OR = 3.66), COVID-19 threat to their own life (89%; OR = 2.89), and feelings of isolation (62%), were all significant predictors of postpartum anxiety and depression disorders. Both anxiety and depression were significant barriers to unsuccessful breastfeeding duration, especially among primiparous women (p = 0.001). The findings revealed high anxiety and depression among postpartum women, which was linked to COVID-19 stressors and breastfeeding outcomes. The careful follow-up of perinatal mothers during a pandemic should be the priority of healthcare professionals to reduce maternal morbidity rates and improve the health of infants.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45593594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}