Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
Association between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms: a follow-up study during COVID-19 pandemic
Dublin Core
Title
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
Association between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms: a follow-up study during COVID-19 pandemic
Association between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms: a follow-up study during COVID-19 pandemic
Subject
maternity harassment, postpartum depressive symptoms, COVID-19 pandemic
Description
Introduction: Maternity harassment, known as “pregnancy discrimination” in English, is still prevalent in developed countries.
However, there is little research on the impact of maternity harassment on perinatal mental health. We aimed to examine the association between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms in Japan.
Material and methods: From May, 2020 to March 2021, we followed
285 pregnant employees (including women who were working at the time their pregnancy was confirmed). Maternity harassment was measured in a web survey during pregnancy and defined as being
subjected to any of the 16 adverse treatments prohibited by national
guidelines. Postpartum depressive symptoms were measured using
the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (Japanese version) in a
mail survey at 2 months postpartum. Multiple regression analysis
was performed.
Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic and occupational factors and fear of covid-19, a significant association observed between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms (=1.67, p =0.004). When stratified by employment type, we found a significant association between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms for non-regular employment (=2.13, p =0.049), but not for regular employment (=1.14, p=0.119).
Conclusions: The findings suggest that maternity harassment has
adverse effects on postpartum depressive symptoms, especially for
non-regular employees. To protect the perinatal mental health and
employment of pregnant women, employers should comply with the
laws and take measures to prevent maternity harassment.
However, there is little research on the impact of maternity harassment on perinatal mental health. We aimed to examine the association between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms in Japan.
Material and methods: From May, 2020 to March 2021, we followed
285 pregnant employees (including women who were working at the time their pregnancy was confirmed). Maternity harassment was measured in a web survey during pregnancy and defined as being
subjected to any of the 16 adverse treatments prohibited by national
guidelines. Postpartum depressive symptoms were measured using
the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (Japanese version) in a
mail survey at 2 months postpartum. Multiple regression analysis
was performed.
Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic and occupational factors and fear of covid-19, a significant association observed between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms (=1.67, p =0.004). When stratified by employment type, we found a significant association between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms for non-regular employment (=2.13, p =0.049), but not for regular employment (=1.14, p=0.119).
Conclusions: The findings suggest that maternity harassment has
adverse effects on postpartum depressive symptoms, especially for
non-regular employees. To protect the perinatal mental health and
employment of pregnant women, employers should comply with the
laws and take measures to prevent maternity harassment.
Creator
Yuko Kachi, Hisashi Eguchi, Akiomi Inoue, Takeo Fujiwara, Sachiko Baba, Hiroshi Ohta, Akizumi Tsutsumi
Publisher
Elsevier Korea LLC
Date
January 2022
Contributor
Sri Wahyuni
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
Files
Citation
Yuko Kachi, Hisashi Eguchi, Akiomi Inoue, Takeo Fujiwara, Sachiko Baba, Hiroshi Ohta, Akizumi Tsutsumi, “Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
Association between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms: a follow-up study during COVID-19 pandemic,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed November 21, 2024, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2359.
Association between maternity harassment and postpartum depressive symptoms: a follow-up study during COVID-19 pandemic,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed November 21, 2024, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2359.