COVID-19 Pandemic Effects: Maternal Substance Use, Distress, and Infant Temperament

Marco A. Ramirez Gonzalez

doi:10.7273/000007452

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented societal changes aimed at containing the spread of the novel disease. These changes were not without consequence, as extant literature demonstrates an increase in psychological distress, higher rates of anxiety and depression, and a decrease in the overall quality of life, resulting from the pandemic and related restrictions. Mothers were not exempt from the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, experiencing higher rates of substance use since the onset of the pandemic, as well as increased levels of stress and psychological difficulties. Increases in maternal substance use and psychological difficulties have cascading effects on infant socioemotional development, with maternal substance use being linked with temperamental reactivity in infants and internalizing and externalizing problems at age 5. Additionally, maternal internalizing disorders are linked to higher levels of infant negative emotionality, more distress proneness, and emotional dysregulation. This project has two primary aims: (1) compare the pre- and post- COVID-19 substance use rates in pregnant women; and (2) examine the links between substance use, maternal mental health, and infant temperament outcomes in the context of COVID-19 effects. To address the first aim, independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare pre and post COVID-19 substance use rates. If the individual substance use frequency is low, the overall level of risk indicators provided by the ASSIST will be used for comparison across the timepoints. To address the second aim, hierarchical multiple regressions were utilized to examine COVID-19 as a moderator, expected to exacerbate the effects of substance use and maternal internalizing symptoms on infant temperament outcomes. Our independent-samples t-test showed a significantly higher mean total substance use score in the COVID condition, as well as significantly higher scores on alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis consumption. The findings from our moderation analyses revealed that maternal depression significantly interacted with COVID-19 exposure in predicting infant RCO, with a stronger negative impact of depression observed in the COVID-19 group. Follow-up analyses with the RCO subscales were conducted, demonstrating that maternal depression during COVID-19 was specifically linked to lower soothability, whereas in the pre COVID-19 group, higher depression was marginally associated with greater soothability.

COVID-19 Pandemic Effects: Maternal Substance Use, Distress, and Infant Temperament

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