I-Cope

The I-COPE study is an international project involving scientists from various countries. The study is led by Professor Marci Lobel from Stony Brook University in New York and, in addition to the survey of pregnant women in Germany (led by Dr Nora Schaal here at HHU), Italy, Spain, Israel, Poland and Switzerland are also involved in the project.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which affects all areas of life, provides a unique opportunity to fill gaps in our knowledge of extreme stress during pregnancy and the risk and protective factors associated with the short- and long-term effects of this stress. Understanding the mechanisms related to the impact of stress on women's mental health and behaviour and their pregnancy outcomes could enable routine clinical research to better identify women at risk and develop appropriate interventions

For the I-COPE study, large Germany-wide online studies are being conducted in which various questionnaires are used to assess anxiety and stress levels as well as various other socio-demographic and pregnancy-related factors. The aim is to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected pregnant women, stress levels, mental health and behaviour. In addition, the protective and risk factors for the development of stress will be explored.

If you have any questions about the project, please contact us (nora.schaal@hhu.de).