Maternal depression from early pregnancy to 4 years postpartum in a prospective pregnancy cohort study: implications for primary health care. (21st May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Woolhouse, H; Gartland, D; Mensah, F; Brown, SJ
• Is Part Of: BJOG. Volume 122:Number 3(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 312
• Page End: 321
• Publication Date: 2014-05-21
• Subjects: Obstetrics -- Periodicals; Gynecology -- Periodicals; 618
• DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.12837
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1470-0328

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="bjo12837-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="bjo12837-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To describe the prevalence of maternal depression from pregnancy to 4 years postpartum, and the risk factors for depressive symptoms at 4 years postpartum.</p> </sec> <sec id="bjo12837-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Design</title> <p>Prospective pregnancy cohort study of nulliparous women.</p> </sec> <sec id="bjo12837-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Setting</title> <p>Melbourne, Australia.</p> </sec> <sec id="bjo12837-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Sample</title> <p>In all, 1507 women completed baseline data in pregnancy (mean gestation 15 weeks).</p> </sec> <sec id="bjo12837-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Women were recruited from six public hospitals. Questionnaires were completed at recruitment and 3, 6, 12 and 18 months postpartum, and 4 years postpartum.</p> </sec> <sec id="bjo12837-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Main outcome measures</title> <p>Scores ≥13 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were used to indicate depressive symptoms.</p> </sec> <sec id="bjo12837-sec-0007" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Almost one in three women reported depressive symptoms at least once in the first 4 years after birth. The prevalence of depressive symptoms at 4 years postpartum was 14.5%, and was higher than at any time‐point in the first 12 months postpartum. Women with one child at 4 years postpartum were more likely to report depressive symptoms at this time compared with women with subsequent children (22.9 versus 11.3%), and this association remained significant in adjusted models (Adjusted odds ratio 1.71, 95% confidence interval 1.12–2.63).</p> </sec> <sec id="bjo12837-sec-0008" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Maternal depression is more common at 4 years postpartum than at any time in the first 12 months postpartum, and women with one child at 4 years postpartum report significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms than women with subsequent children. There is a need for scaling up of current services to extend surveillance of maternal mental health to cover the early years of parenting.</p> </sec> </abstract>