Depression risk in women peaks two weeks after giving birth: research

Women who’ve given birth experience the highest prevalence of major depression two weeks postpartum, a new study has found. In the largest mental health study of its kind, researchers at the University of Queensland collaborated with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington to collect data from more than 2 million women and girls across 90 countries, surveying a total of 780 studies. The researchers looked at the time period from conception up until a year post-delivery, finding the prevalence of depression spiked at the end of the first two weeks after a woman gives birth. The research, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, also revealed the prevalence of major depression during the peripartum period (the period shortly before, during, and after childbirth) varied accord regions — the highest was found in women in southern sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, while the lowest was found in high-income areas in the Asia Pacific region. Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Paul Miller from UQ said these differences could be caused by a variety of reasons, such as data collection methodologies, psychosocial risk factors, as well as cultural factors and differences in access to healthcare services. “How families, broader communities, and health systems support women and girls during pregnancy and in the months afterwards varies from country to country, and this plays a role in their mental health,” Dr Miller said. “The prevalence of major depression among women and girls living in the Australasia region was only slightly below the global average at 5.7 per cent during pregnancy and 6.1 per cent for the year after childbirth.” “Our findings show the need for increased screening, prevention and treatment of major depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period.” One of the study’s other lead authors agreed, saying that the latest research highlights the need for including early screening and intervention for depression during the entire peripartum period — especially in antenatal care visits with obstetricians, midwives and GPs, and other postpartum period health checks. “Globally, major depression impacts about 4.3 per cent of women and girls in the broader population, but we found the prevalence was 6.2 per cent for women and girls during pregnancy and 6.8 per cent during the 12 months after childbirth,” Honorary Associate Professor Alize Ferrari, from the School of Public Health, said. Recent findings from other studies how revealed that between 15 to 22 per cent of women experience depression during pregnancy and/or following childbirth, and up to 1 in every 5 women are at risk of experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, or both during pregnancy and/or following birth. The post Depression risk in women peaks two weeks after giving birth: research appeared first on Women's Agenda.