Women with History of Depression 20 Times More Likely To Have Postpartum Depression
A study of almost all women who gave birth in Sweden between 1997 and 2008 reports that women with a history of depression are 21.03 times more likely to suffer from postpartum depression than those without such a history. The 2017 article by Michael E. Silverman and colleagues in the journal Depression and Anxiety reports that advanced age and gestational diabetes also increased the likelihood of postpartum depression.
Whether a woman had gone through a depression in the past also affected her other risk factors for postpartum depression. Among women who had been depressed before, having diabetes before pregnancy and having a “mild” pre-term delivery were risk factors for postpartum depression. In contrast, among women with no history of depression, young age, having an instrument-assisted or caesarean delivery, and “moderate” pre-term delivery were risk factors for postpartum depression.
Rates of postpartum depression decreased one month after delivery.
Editor’s Note: About one in five women in the general population experience postpartum depression. All new mothers should be screened for postpartum depression, but especially those with a history of depression. Instituting supportive measures may help prevent an episode.
