Association between maternity harassment and depression during pregnancy amid the COVID-19 state of emergency.
OBJECTIVES
Maternity harassment, known in English as pregnancy discrimination, remains prevalent in developed countries. However, research examining the mental health effects of maternity harassment is lacking. We aimed to examine the association between maternity harassment and depression during pregnancy in Japan.


METHODS
A cross-sectional Internet survey was conducted on 359 pregnant employees (including women who were working at the time their pregnancy was confirmed) from May 22 to May 31, 2020, during which time a COVID-19 state of emergency was declared. Maternity harassment was defined as being subjected to any of the 16 adverse treatments prohibited by national guidelines. Depression was defined as a score of ≥9 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (Japanese version). Logistic regression analysis was performed.


RESULTS
Overall, 24.8% of the pregnant employees had experienced maternity harassment by supervisors and/or colleagues. After adjusting for demographics, pregnancy status, work status, and fear of COVID-19, pregnant employees who experienced maternity harassment were more likely to have depression than those who did not (odds ratio 2.48, 95% confidential interval 1.34-4.60). This association was not influenced by whether they were teleworking or not as a COVID-19 measure.


CONCLUSIONS
One quarter of pregnant employees experienced maternity harassment and had a higher prevalence of depression than those who did not. Being physically away from the office through teleworking may not reduce the effect of maternal harassment on depression. To protect the mental health and employment of pregnant women, employers should comply with the laws and take measures to prevent maternity harassment.
['Kachi|Yuko|Y|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4238-1265', 'Fujiwara|Takeo|T|', 'Eguchi|Hisashi|H|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4153-8574', 'Inoue|Akiomi|A|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4079-0719', 'Baba|Sachiko|S|', 'Ohta|Hiroshi|H|', 'Tsutsumi|Akizumi|A|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0966-4869']
D000328:Adult D000086382:COVID-19 D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D003863:Depression D004651:Employment D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007564:Japan D011247:Pregnancy D011248:Pregnancy Complications D011287:Prejudice D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
maternity harassment pregnancy discrimination mental health pregnant employees