A distraught mother holding her newborn in a dimly lit room, her expression filled with sorrow and anxiety. Behind her, shadows loom, representing mental struggles and the risks associated with perinatal depression. The room feels heavy with emotion, yet there's a faint light symbolizing hope and support.
A recent nationwide Swedish study sheds light on a potential life-threatening complication of pregnancy: perinatal depression. According to the research, women who suffer from perinatal depression, whether treated by specialized care or antidepressants, have a higher mortality risk. The study’s extensive scope highlights that this link has largely gone unnoticed in the past.
“Women experiencing perinatal depression are not just at risk for mental health deterioration; their lives are literally at risk,” explained lead researcher Dr. Naela Hagatulah.
Researchers emphasize that while perinatal depression has been studied before, previous studies focused primarily on postpartum disorders. This study stands out because it includes both antepartum and postpartum depression, making it one of the most comprehensive analyses to date.
Scope of the Study
The study spanned data from 1,029,215 women in Sweden, analyzing 1.7 million pregnancies between January 2001 and December 2017. It used Sweden’s extensive health registers, including the medical birth, national patient, and drug registers, which cover almost all births, specialized care, and dispensed medications since the early 2000s. These datasets enabled a deep dive into the health trajectories of women diagnosed with perinatal depression.
“Our study used sibling comparisons to control for shared familial confounding,” said Dr. Donghao Lu. “This allowed us to pinpoint the impact of perinatal depression more accurately by considering genetic and shared childhood experiences that may influence both depression and mortality.”
Mental Health and Mortality
The association between mental health and mortality has been documented before, but this study adds new layers to understanding the risks that perinatal depression poses. Women with postpartum psychiatric disorders, such as psychosis and anxiety, are already known to have an increased risk of death. However, this study brings attention to a critical gap: perinatal depression as a major contributing factor to mortality, especially suicide.
“We discovered that women who had perinatal depression were more likely to die by suicide than women without it,” noted Dr. Qing Shen, one of the co-authors. “This highlights the need for better mental health interventions during and after pregnancy.”
Call for Intervention
This study has significant implications for healthcare providers and policymakers. The researchers stress the importance of early intervention and routine screening for perinatal depression during both pregnancy and postpartum periods. By detecting and treating these disorders earlier, medical professionals can help mitigate the long-term risks, including death.
“Our findings show a clear need for healthcare systems to incorporate robust mental health strategies for expectant mothers,” said Dr. Unnur Valdimarsdóttir. “Providing mental health support should be as routine as monitoring physical health during pregnancy.”
This study shines a crucial spotlight on a hidden risk that has been largely underestimated. Addressing perinatal depression through adequate treatment and support could significantly reduce mortality risks among new mothers.
Citation:
Hagatulah N, Bränn E, Oberg AS, Valdimarsdóttir UA, Shen Q, Lu D. Perinatal depression and risk of mortality: nationwide, register based study in Sweden. BMJ. 2024;384. doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-075462.
This content is generated from the original article original article and it’s under Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial.
