The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pregnant Women with Perinatal Anxiety Symptoms in Pakistan: A Qualitative Study

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on people with existing mental health conditions is likely to be high. We explored the consequences of the pandemic on women of lower socioeconomic status with prenatal anxiety symptoms living in urban Rawalpindi, Pakistan. This qualitative study was embedded within an ongoing randomized controlled trial of psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety at a public hospital in Rawalpindi. The participants were women with symptoms of anxiety who had received or were receiving the intervention. In total, 27 interviews were conducted; 13 women were in their third trimester of pregnancy, and 14 were in their postnatal period. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using framework analysis. Key findings were that during the pandemic, women experienced increased perinatal anxiety that was linked to greater financial problems, uncertainties over availability of appropriate obstetric healthcare, and a lack of trust in health professionals. Women experienced increased levels of fear for their own and their baby’s health and safety, especially due to fear of infection. COVID-19 appears to have contributed to symptoms of anxiety in women already predisposed to anxiety in the prenatal period. Efforts to address women’s heightened anxiety due to the pandemic are likely to have public health benefits.</jats:p

Do risk tolerance and financial literacy impact the investment intention of securities investors in Pakistan?

This paper aims to investigate the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in examining individuals’ behavioral intention to invest in the capital market. This study extends the TPB model by considering the role of Risk tolerance as a factor in influencing the individuals’ behavioral investment intentions. The study investigates the mediating impact of financial literacy on the relationship between TPB and investment intentions. This paper is based on a cross-sectional approach. The research model is tested through structural equation modeling (SEM). Data were collected from 114 individuals from Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, Pakistan through a survey questionnaire and analyzed through Smart PLS software. The results of this study reveal the role of risk tolerance and financial literacy over the investment intention of financial securities. This study indicates that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and risk tolerance significantly impact investment intentions. The findings signify that financial literacy can increase the intention of investing in financial securities. However, our study shows that having financial literacy does not reduce the risk concerns of investing in securities. This study expands on the well-established TPB model by incorporating risk tolerance and moderator of financial literacy behavioral intentions. It also extends the applicability of the TPB in the area of investment decision-making toward all financial securities. This study is limited to the financial sectors of Karachi and can be extended to cross-country evaluation of the effect of financial literacy on risk tolerance