Assisted reproductive technologies and postpartum depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have become the main treatment for infertility. ART treatment can be a stressful life event for infertile females. Whether there is an association between ARTs and postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) has not been established. METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CNKI were searched. The pooled outcome was the difference in incidence of PDS within 1 year postpartum between ARTs and the spontaneous pregnancy group. RESULTS: A total of 12 cohort studies, which were conducted in eight developed countries and two developing countries, were involved. In total, 106,338 pregnant women, including 4990 infertile females with ARTs treatment and 101,348 women with spontaneous pregnancy, were enrolled in our final analysis. ARTs women had a lower incidence of PDS compared to the spontaneous pregnancy group according to a random effect model (OR = 0.83, 95 % CI: 0.71-0.97, p = 0.022, I2 = 62.0 %). Subgroup analyses indicated that studies on late PDS (follow-up: 3-12 months postpartum) were more heterogeneous than those on early PDS (follow-up: <3 months postpartum) (I2 = 24.3 % vs. I2 = 0 %, interaction p-value < 0.001). There was a strong relationship between ARTs and late PDS (OR = 0.65, 95 % CI: 0.55-0.77, p < 0.001). Therefore, the possible source of heterogeneity was the postpartum evaluation time, which was confirmed by post-hoc meta-regression. LIMITATIONS: Some underlying confounders, such as previous psychiatric illness, the limited availability of ARTs, and ethnic disparities, cannot be ignored and may have biased interpretation of the results. CONCLUSION: The available data suggested that ARTs were associated with lower incidence of PDS, especially when follow-up lasted over 3 months. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Better-designed trials are needed to confirm this association.

The association of domestic violence during pregnancy with maternal psychological well-being in the early postpartum period: A sample from women with low socioeconomic status in Eastern Turkey.

AIM: To examine the association of women's exposure to domestic violence during pregnancy with postpartum maternal psychological well-being (postpartum depression and anxiety) in the early postpartum period. METHODS: The sample of this descriptive correlational research study comprised 358 women. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Domestic Violence Screening Tool, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale. The one-way multivariate analysis of variance, and a multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to analysis of data. RESULTS: The mean scores of the HITS, the EPDS, and the PSAS were 6.00±16.00, 7.47±5.57, and 72.02±18.63 respectively. Considering the cut-off values of the scales, the women were found to be at risk for exposure to domestic violence (20.1%), postpartum depression (24%), and postpartum anxiety (11.2%). Education level and having social security was significantly associated with women's HITS and PSAS score.Women with high mean domestic violence scores had high mean postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety scores. Women's mean domestic violence and postpartum anxiety scores were significantly and positively associated with their mean postpartum depression scores (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed that women were frequently exposed to DV during pregnancy, education level and social security were important predictors of exposure to DV, and that DV associated with postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. Exposure to DV and postpartum anxiety increased the risk of postpartum depression. It is recommended to integrate screening, guidance, and supportive counseling practices into routine antenatal care to improve the mental health of pregnant women at risk.

Diagnosis of peripartum depression disorder: A state-of-the-art approach from the COST Action Riseup-PPD.

BACKGROUND: Peripartum depression (PPD) is a major depression disorder (MDD) episode with onset during pregnancy or within four weeks after childbirth, as defined in DSM-5. However, research suggests that PPD may be a distinct diagnosis. The goal of this study was to summarize the similarities and differences between PPD and MDD by synthesizing the current research on PPD diagnosis concerning different clinical features and give directions for improving diagnosis of PPD in clinical practice. METHODS: To lay the groundwork for this narrative review, several databases were searched using general search phrases on PPD and its components of clinical diagnosis. RESULTS: When compared to MDD, peripartum depression exhibits several distinct characteristics. PPD manifests with a variety of symptoms, i.e., more anxiety, psychomotor symptoms, obsessive thoughts, impaired concentration, fatigue and loss of energy, but less sad mood and suicidal ideation, compared to MDD. Although PPD and MDD prevalence rates are comparable, there are greater cross-cultural variances for PPD. Additionally, PPD has some distinct risk factors and mechanisms such as distinct ovarian tissue expression, premenstrual syndrome, unintended pregnancy, and obstetric complications. CONCLUSION: There is a need for more in-depth research comparing MDD with depression during pregnancy and the entire postpartum year. The diagnostic criteria should be modified, particularly with (i) addition of specific symptoms (i.e., anxiety), (ii) onset specifier extending to the first year following childbirth, (iii) and change the peripartum onset specifier to either "pregnancy onset" or "postpartum onset". Diagnostic criteria for PPD are further discussed.

Association of e-Cigarette Use and Postpartum Depression: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System 2016-2019.

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent public health concern. Combustible cigarette use is associated with increased risk of PPD. While electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use during pregnancy is linked to increased risk of depressive symptoms during pregnancy, the relationship between e-cigarette use and PPD is not well understood. We sought to examine the association of e-cigarette use with PPD. Materials and Methods: Using Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System 2016-2019 data, unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses for PPD were conducted via three analyses where e-cigarette use (any vs. none) was retrospectively self-reported (1) in past 2-year, (2) prepregnancy (i.e., 3 months before pregnancy), and (3) during pregnancy (i.e., last 3 months of pregnancy). We conducted an additional past 2-year e-cigarette use analysis excluding those who used combustible cigarette and/or hookah. Covariates included age, race, ethnicity, combustible cigarette, and/or hookah use, prenatal care during the last trimester, health insurance coverage during pregnancy, physical abuse during pregnancy, income, and survey type. Results: Only unadjusted odds ratios from past 2-year e-cigarette use (1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42-1.87) and past 2-year e-cigarette use excluding individuals with cigarette and/or hookah use (1.78, 95% CI: 1.30-2.38) were statistically associated with PPD. No adjusted analyses were statistically significant. Conclusion: Any e-cigarette use, as compared to no use, does not appear to be an independent risk factor of PPD, though it may be a useful clinical marker of increased risk of PPD. Future studies are warranted to advance our knowledge of impact of e-cigarette use on PPD.

Examining the Relationship Between Screening for Postpartum Depression and Associated Child Health Service Utilization and Costs: A Study Using the All Our Families Cohort and Administrative Data.

INTRODUCTION: Despite a recognized association between maternal postpartum depression (PPD) and adverse child health outcomes, evidence examining the relationship between PPD symptoms and associated child health service utilization and costs remains unclear. In addition, there is a paucity of evidence describing the relationship between early identification of maternal PPD and associated health service utilization and costs for children. This study aims to address this gap by describing the secondary associations of screening for maternal PPD and annual health service utilization and costs for children over their first five years of life. METHODS: Mothers and children enrolled in the prospective All Our Families cohort were linked to provincial administrative data in Alberta, Canada. Multivariable generalized linear models were used to estimate the average annual inpatient, outpatient, physician, and total health service utilization and costs from a public health system perspective for children of mothers screened high risk for PPD, low/moderate risk for PPD, or unscreened. RESULTS: Total mean costs were greatest for children during their first year of life than other years. Those whose mothers were not screened had significantly lower costs compared to those whose mothers were screened low/moderate risk, despite equivalent health service utilization. DISCUSSION: Findings from this study describe the secondary associations of screening for maternal PPD using a public health system perspective. More research is required to fully understand variations in health costs for children across maternal PPD screening categories.

This study describes the relationship between maternal PPD screening status and annual child health service utilization and costs over the first five years of age. Findings from this administrative data study will support decision-makers in understanding the secondary effects associated with maternal PPD screening and inform future cost-effectiveness analyses of PPD screening interventions using a maternal-child health perspective.

Assessment of eating disorders and depression in postpartum women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of eating disorders and orthorexia in postpartum women and examine the relationship with postpartum depression. STUDY DESIGN: Included in this study were 227 postpartum women. The Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26) was used to determine the risk of eating disorders in the women, followed by the Orthorexia 11 Scale (ORTO-11) to identify orthorexia, and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) to identify postpartum depression. RESULTS: 63 of the women (27.8%) exhibited an orthorexic tendency, which was also related to eating disorders and postpartum depression. Each one-point increase in the EAT-26 score led to a decrease of 0.32 points in the ORTO-11 score. Similarly, each one-point increase in the EPDS score caused a reduction of 0.18 points in the ORTO-11 score. The ORTO-11 score increased by 0.26 points per each live birth. CONCLUSION: An obsessive focus on healthful nutrition may result in the impairment of health and numerous adverse psychological and physiological outcomes in the future. Healthy eating habits should be maintained to improve the quality of life without causing an obsession with healthy eating.

Association Between State Paid Family and Medical Leave and Breastfeeding, Depression, and Postpartum Visits.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of state paid family and medical leave policies with the likelihood of breastfeeding, postpartum depression symptoms, and attendance of the postpartum visit. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that used 2016-2019 data from PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) for 43 states and Washington, DC. We describe the association of state paid family and medical leave generosity with rates of breastfeeding, postpartum depression symptoms, and attendance of the postpartum visit. Logistic and Poisson regression models tested the significance of state paid family and medical leave coverage generosity after controlling for individual respondent sociodemographic characteristics, with sensitivity analyses for respondents with deliveries covered by Medicaid insurance. RESULTS: Of the 143,131 respondents, representative of an estimated 7,426,725 population, 26.2% lived in eight states and DC with the most generous paid family and medical leave, 20.5% lived in nine states with some paid family and medical leave, and 53.3% lived in 26 states with little or no paid family and medical leave. Overall, 54.8% reported breastfeeding at 6 months or at time of the survey, ranging from 59.5% in the most generous paid family and medical leave states to 51.0% in states with the least paid family and medical leave coverage. Postpartum depression symptoms varied from 11.7% in the most generous states to 13.3% in the least generous states (both P <.001). State differences in postpartum visit attendance rates (90.9% overall) did not differ significantly. After adjusting for respondent characteristics, compared with states with the least paid family and medical leave, breastfeeding was 9% more likely (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 1.09, 95% CI, 1.07-1.11) in states with the strongest paid family and medical leave coverage and 32% more likely (aIRR 1.32, 95% CI, 1.25-1.39) in analyses limited to respondents with deliveries covered by Medicaid insurance. A more generous state paid family and medical leave policy was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of postpartum depression symptoms compared with states with the least paid family and medical leave (adjusted odds ratio 0.85, 95% CI, 0.76-0.94) and a modest but significant increase in postpartum visit attendance (aIRR 1.03, 95% CI, 1.01-1.04) among respondents with deliveries covered by Medicaid insurance. CONCLUSION: Respondents from states with strong paid family and medical leave had a greater likelihood of breastfeeding and had lower odds of postpartum depression symptoms, with stronger associations among respondents with deliveries covered by Medicaid insurance. Despite major potential health benefits of paid family and medical leave, the United States remains one of the few countries without federally mandated paid parental leave.

Association of Postpartum Mental Illness Diagnoses with Severe Maternal Morbidity.

Background: This study aimed to determine whether birthing people who experience severe maternal morbidity (SMM) are more likely to be diagnosed with a postpartum mental illness. Materials and Methods: Using the Massachusetts All Payer Claims Database, this study used modified Poisson regression analysis to assess the association of SMM with mental illness diagnosis during the postpartum year, accounting for prenatal mental illness diagnoses and other patient characteristics. Results: There were 128,161 deliveries identified, with 55.0% covered by Medicaid. Of these, 3.1% experienced SMM during pregnancy and/or delivery hospitalization, and 20.1% had a mental illness diagnosis within 1 year postpartum. In adjusted regression analyses, individuals with SMM had a 10.6% increased risk of having any mental illness diagnosis compared to individuals without SMM, primarily due to an increased risk of a depression or post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis among people with SMM than those without SMM. Conclusions: Individuals who experienced SMM had a higher risk of a mental illness diagnosis in the postpartum year. Given increases in SMM in the United States in recent decades, policies to mitigate mental health sequelae of SMM are urgently needed.

Structural Factors in Health Care Associated With the Mental Health Needs of Black Women in California During the Perinatal Period.

OBJECTIVE: To identify structural factors associated with the receipt of mental health care treatment among Black women in California during pregnancy and after childbirth. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from the population-based Listening to Mothers in California survey. PARTICIPANTS: The sample included 194 non-Latina Black women in the postpartum period. METHODS: We used descriptive statistics, including differences between means and logistic regression, to conduct a series of bivariate analyses. RESULTS: Most respondents (84.4%, n = 163) reported symptoms of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders prenatally, and half (50% n = 97) reported symptoms of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the postpartum period. Only 12.3% to 14.6% of those who reported symptoms received mental health care treatment. Furthermore, 21.2% (n = 38) of respondents were not screened for postpartum depression. Respondents with private insurance coverage were more likely to report receipt of mental health care after childbirth (OR = 4.6; 95% confidence interval [1.5, 13.5]) compared to respondents with public insurance coverage. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest a high prevalence of unmet mental health needs among non-Latina Black women who lived in California during the perinatal period. Practitioners in clinical settings may be more likely to make referrals to mental health care for women with private insurance coverage in the postpartum period.

An economic evaluation of targeted case-finding strategies for identifying postnatal depression: A model-based analysis comparing common case-finding instruments.

BACKGROUND: Half of women with postnatal depression (PND) are not identified in routine care. We aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of PND case-finding in women with risk factors for PND. METHODS: A decision tree was developed to represent the one-year costs and health outcomes associated with case-finding and treatment for PND. The sensitivity and specificity of case-finding instruments, and prevalence and severity of PND, for women with ≥1 PND risk factor were estimated from a cohort of postnatal women. Risk factors were history of anxiety/depression, age < 20 years, and adverse life events. Other model parameters were derived from published literature and expert consultation. Case-finding for high-risk women only was compared with no case-finding and universal case-finding. RESULTS: More than half of the cohort had one or more PND risk factor (57.8 %; 95 % CI 52.7 %-62.7 %). The most cost-effective case-finding strategy was the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale with a cut-off of ≥10 (EPDS-10). Among high-risk women, there is a high probability that EPDS-10 case-finding for PND is cost-effective compared to no case-finding (78.5 % at a threshold of £20,000/QALY), with an ICER of £8146/QALY gained. Universal case-finding is even more cost-effective at £2945/QALY gained (versus no case-finding). There is a greater health improvement with universal rather than targeted case-finding. LIMITATIONS: The model includes costs and health benefits for mothers in the first year postpartum, the broader (e.g. families, societal) and long-term impacts are also important. CONCLUSIONS: Universal PND case-finding is more cost-effective than targeted case-finding which itself is more cost-effective than not case-finding.

Ecological momentary assessment of postpartum outcomes in mothers of multiples: lower maternal-infant bonding, higher stress, and more disrupted sleep.

Research on mental health in mothers of multiples has neglected important outcomes like postpartum bonding and relationship satisfaction and is limited by reliance on single-administration, retrospective measures. This study fills these gaps by assessing previously unexamined variables and using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), wherein participants answer repeated, brief surveys to measure real-world, real-time outcomes. This online study recruited 221 women and compared outcomes in those who birthed multiples (n = 127, 57.47%) vs. singletons (n = 94, 42.53%). When recruited, participants were either 6-12 (n = 129, 58.37%) or 18-24 (n = 83, 37.56%) weeks postpartum. All 221 participants completed baseline measures of self-reported depression, anxiety, stress, sleep, relationship satisfaction, and maternal-infant bonding. One hundred thirty participants (58.82%) engaged in 7 days of EMA assessing self-reported momentary mood, stress, fatigue, bonding, and sleep. Data were analyzed using two-by-two ANOVAs and hierarchical linear modeling. Mothers of multiples reported more baseline parenting stress and less maternal-infant bonding than mothers of singletons (ps < .05). Mothers of multiples who were 6-12 weeks postpartum reported the lowest bonding (p = .03). Mothers of multiples also reported more momentary stress, overwhelm, nighttime awakenings, and wake time after sleep onset (ps < .05). The latter two variables positively correlated with momentary fatigue, stress, and worse mood (ps < .05). Mothers of multiples experienced worse postpartum bonding, more stress, and more interrupted sleep than mothers of singletons. This population may benefit from tailored postpartum interventions to decrease stress, increase bonding, and improve sleep.

An optimization for postpartum depression risk assessment and preventive intervention strategy based machine learning approaches.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders for women after delivery. The establishment of an effective PPD prediction model helps to distinguish high-risk groups, and verifying whether such high-risk groups can benefit from drug intervention is very important for clinical guidance. METHODS: We collected data of parturients that underwent a cesarean delivery. The Control group was divided into a training cohort and a testing cohort. Six different ML models were constructed and we compared their prediction performance in the testing cohort. For model interpretation, we introduced SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Then, training cohort, ketamine group and dexmedetomidine (DEX) group were classified as high or low risk for PPD by the model. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to compare the incidence of PPD between two groups in different risk cohorts. RESULTS: Extreme gradient enhancement (XGB) had the best recognition effect, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.789 (95 % CI 0.742-0.836) in the training cohort and 0.744 (95 % CI 0.655-0.823) in the testing cohort, respectively. A threshold of 21.5 % PPD risk probability was determined. After PSM, the results showed that the incidence of PPD in the two intervention groups was significantly different from the control group in the high-risk cohort (P < 0.001) but not in the low-risk cohort (P > 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the XGB algorithm provided a more accurate in prediction of PPD risk, and it was beneficial to receive early intervention for the high-risk groups distinguished by the model.

The impact of the 2015 ACOG screening guidelines on the diagnosis of postpartum depression among privately insured women.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD), is underdiagnosed and undertreated. In 2015, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended that women be screened for PPD at least once during the perinatal period. The effect of the recommendation on PPD diagnosis is unknown. METHODS: Using the MerativeTM MarketScan® database, PPD prevalence was identified in privately insured women ages 13-45 with a live birth between 2013 and 2016. Postpartum depression was defined as an ICD diagnosis code for PPD or other depression, or a new pharmacy claim for an antidepressant medication during the first 12 months following delivery. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the likelihood of PPD both before and after the ACOG PPD Committee Opinion. RESULTS: The study included 244,624 women ages 13-45 who had a live birth in 2013 through 2016. PPD prevalence before and after the 2015 ACOG Committee Opinion was 15.1 % and 17.2 %, respectively. The likelihood of PPD was not statistically different following the 2015 Committee Opinion (adjusted OR, 1.00, 95 % CI, 0.97-1.03) when controlling for age, year, delivery complications, and geographic region. LIMITATIONS: Sociodemographic variables are not included in the MarketScan database and therefore could not be analyzed as covariates. Re-defining a PPD diagnosis as above interfered with the ability to measure a prior history of mood disorders as a covariate. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the ACOG recommendations was not associated with a significant increase in PPD diagnosis. This suggests that physician organization recommendations alone are not sufficient to increase detection of PPD.

Comparison of Estimated Incentives for Preventing Postpartum Depression in Value-Based Payment Models Using the Net Present Value of Care vs Total Cost of Care.

Importance: Strong financial incentives are critical to promoting widespread implementation of interventions that prevent postpartum depression. Value-based payment (VBP) approaches could be adapted to capture longer-term value and offer stronger incentives for postpartum depression prevention by sharing the expected future health care savings estimated by reduced postpartum depression incidence with clinicians. Objective: To evaluate whether sharing 5-year expected savings estimated by reduced postpartum depression incidence offers stronger incentives for prevention than traditional VBP under a variety of circumstances. Design, Setting, and Participants: This decision analytic model used a simulated cohort of 1000 Medicaid-enrolled pregnant individuals. Health care costs for individuals receiving postpartum depression preventive intervention or not, over 1 or 5 years post partum, in a variety of scenarios, including varying rates of Medicaid churn (ie, transitions to a new Medicaid managed care plan, commercial insurance plan, or loss of coverage) were estimated for the period 2020 to 2025. The model was developed between March 5 and July 30, 2021. Exposure: Sharing 100% of 1-year actual health care cost saving vs 50% of 5-year estimated health care cost savings associated with reduced postpartum depression incidence. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the amount of clinician incentive shared in a VBP model from providing preventive interventions. The likelihood of the health care payer realizing a positive return on investment if it shared 50% of 5-year expected savings with a clinician up front was also measured. Results: The simulated cohort was designed to be reflective of the demographics characteristics of pregnant individuals receiving Medicaid; however, no specific demographic features were simulated. Providing preventive interventions for postpartum depression resulted in an estimated 5-year savings of $734.12 (95% credible interval [CrI], $217.21-$1235.67) per person. Without health insurance churn, sharing 50% of 5-year expected savings could offer more than double the financial incentives for clinicians to prevent postpartum depression compared with traditional VBP ($367.06 [95% CrI, $108.61-$617.83] vs $177.74 [95% CrI, $52.66-$296.60], respectively), with a high likelihood of positive return for the health care payer (91%). As health insurance churn increased, clinician incentives from sharing estimated savings decreased (73% reduction with 50% annual churn). Conclusions and Relevance: In this decision analytic model of VBP approaches to incentivizing postpartum depression prevention, VBP based on 5-year expected savings offered stronger incentives when churn was low. Policy should support health care payers and clinicians to share estimated savings and overcome health insurance churn issues to promote wide-scale implementation of interventions to prevent perinatal mental health conditions.

Assessment of Perinatal Depression Risk among internally displaced Yazidi Women in Iraq: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Yazidi survivors of a 2014 genocidal attack by the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have complex medical and mental health needs in the perinatal and postpartum period. Few studies have assessed perinatal mental health needs for this population of women who are living in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). METHODS: The specific aim of this formative cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence of perinatal depressive symptoms, specifically the risk of perinatal depression symptoms, among a purposive sample of Yazidi women living in camps for internally displaced persons in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. One hundred twenty-two pregnant and recently postpartum (<1 year) Yazidi women completed a Kurdish-language version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) questionnaire. Pregnant and postpartum participants' responses were analyzed together, in order to assess an overall combined risk of perinatal mental health issues for the study population. Logistic regression analyses were used to measure the association of participant characteristics with an elevated risk of perinatal depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Participants were 17-45 years of age (mean 32 years, SD 7.63) Among the 122 women, 67.2% (n=82) were pregnant and 32.8% (n=40) were <1 year postpartum. Overall, 78% (n=95) of participants were at an elevated risk of depression (EPDS >10), and 53% (n=65) of all participants were at risk of moderate to severe depression (EPDS >12). Thoughts of self-harm (EPDS item 10) were reported among 97% (n=118) of participants. Logistic regression analysis indicated that increased risk of perinatal depressive symptoms was significantly associated with reports of health problems during pregnancy (OR=3.22, 95% [CI]:1.08-9.61) and marital status (OR=16.00; 95% [CI]: 0.42-0.50). Age (OR= 0.84; 95% [CI]: 0.75-0.94) and level of education (OR=0.15; 95% [CI]: 0.42-0.50) had protective effects. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of perinatal depressive symptoms risk among internally displaced Yazid pregnant and postpartum women are higher than the general Kurdish-speaking population in Iraq (28.4%). Culturally responsive trauma informed perinatal and postpartum care services, which include both community-based and clinical strategies for perinatal depressive symptoms and suicide prevention for this population, are critically needed.

The economic toll of COVID-19: A cohort study of prevalence and economic factors associated with postpartum depression in Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to examine the risk of postpartum depression (PPD) among women who delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to women who delivered before the COVID-19 pandemic and how economic challenges are associated with PPD. METHODS: Data were collected from 2332 women. This includes 1197 women from healthcare facilities in 2019 who were followed up at 2-4 and 10 weeks postpartum. Additionally, we recruited 1135 women who delivered from March 16, 2020 onward when COVID-19 restrictions were mandated in Kenya in the same catchment areas as the original sample to compare PPD rates. RESULTS: Adjusting for covariates, women who delivered during COVID-19 had 2.5 times higher odds of screening positive for PPD than women who delivered before COVID-19 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.92-3.15). Women who reported household food insecurity, required to pay a fee to cover the cost of PPE during labor and delivery and/or postnatal visit(s), and those who reported COVID-19 employment-related impacts had a higher likelihood of screening for PPD compared to those who did not report these experiences. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly increased the economic vulnerability of women, resulting in increases in PPD.

The Effect of Postpartum Depressive Symptoms (PDS) on Maternal Health Practices After Childbirth, Texas Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2012-2015.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the contribution of postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) on select maternal health practices among Texas women, using 2012-2015 survey data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. METHODS: Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the effect of PDS on postpartum checkups, postpartum dental visits, and use of postpartum birth control. Covariates included maternal age, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, and depression before birth. RESULTS: Data from 4679 respondents were used in analyses, and the prevalence of women reporting PDS was 13.8 percent. Women without PDS were more likely to attend a postpartum checkup (adjusted OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.1-2.1) or have a postpartum dental visit (adjusted OR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.8) than women with PDS. There was insufficient evidence to conclude any association between PDS and use of postpartum birth control. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight adverse effects of PDS on maternal health practices not previously studied. Results stress the importance of healthcare professionals monitoring the moods and actions of women of childbearing age to provide early interventions for women experiencing PDS, and of emphasizing positive maternal health practices after childbirth.

The development and application of a prediction model for postpartum depression: optimizing risk assessment and prevention in the clinic.

BACKGROUND: Preventive intervention can significantly reduce the human and economic costs of postpartum depression (PPD) compared with treatment post-diagnosis. However, identifying women with a high PPD risk and making a judgement as to the benefits of preventive intervention is a major challenge. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of parturients that underwent a cesarean delivery. Control group was used as development cohort and validation cohort to construct the risk prediction model of PPD and determine a risk threshold. Ketamine group and development cohort were used to verify the risk classification of parturients by evaluating whether the incidence of PPD decreased significantly after ketamine treatment in high-risk for PPD population. RESULTS: The AUC for the development cohort and validation cohort of the PPD prediction model were 0.751 (95%CI:0.700-0.802) and 0.748 (95%CI:0.680-0.816), respectively. A threshold of 19% PPD risk probability was determined, with a specificity and sensitivity in the validation cohort are 0.766 and 0.604, respectively. After matching the high-risk group and the low-risk group by propensity score, the results demonstrated that PPD incidence significantly reduced in the high-risk group following ketamine, versus non-ketamine, intervention (p < 0.01). In contrast, intervention in the low-risk group showed no significant difference in PPD outcomes (p > 0.01). LIMITATION: Randomized trials are needed to further verify the feasibility of the model and the thresholds proposed. CONCLUSION: This prediction model developed in this study shows utility in predicting PPD risk. Ketamine intervention significantly lowers PPD incidence in parturients with a risk classification threshold greater than 19%.

Structural gender inequalities and symptoms of postpartum depression in 40 countries.

BACKGROUND: The role of structural gender inequality in macro-level differences in women's perinatal mental health remains largely unexplored. This short communication explores structural gender inequalities and their potential as a macro-level, upstream social determinant of postpartum depression (PPD). METHODS: We compiled meta-analytically derived national-level prevalence estimates of PPD symptoms - based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale - with economic (e.g., income inequality), health (e.g., infant mortality rate), sociodemographic (e.g., urban population), and structural gender inequality variables (e.g., abortion policies) for 40 countries. Meta-regression techniques and traditional p-value based stepwise procedures, complemented with a Bayesian model averaging approach, were used for a robust selection of variables associated with national-level PPD symptom prevalence. RESULTS: Income inequality (ß = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.07) and abortion policies (ß = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.00 to 0.03) were the only variables selected in the final, adjusted model, accounting for 60.7% of cross-national variations in PPD symptoms. LIMITATIONS: Study quality of primary studies was not assessed and some national-level meta-analytical estimates were based on few primary studies. A fifth of world countries and territories could be included, with high-income regions overrepresented. High rate of missing national-level data for potential predictors of PPD. Cross-sectional analyses precludes causal inferences. CONCLUSIONS: Abortion policies are a significant macro-level social determinant of PPD, and its liberalization might be associated with women's mental health at a population level. Our findings should be a relevant argument for clinicians to advocate for changing discriminatory social norms against women.

Depression in the Postpartum Year and Life Course Economic Trajectories.

INTRODUCTION: Perinatal depression affects 13% of childbearing individuals in the U.S. and has been linked to an increased risk of household economic insecurity in the short term. This study aims to assess the relationship between perinatal depression and long-term economic outcomes. METHODS: This was a longitudinal analysis of a cohort of mothers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study starting at delivery in 1998-2000 and followed until 2014-2017. Analysis was conducted in 2021. Maternal depression was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form 1 year after childbirth, and the outcomes included measures of material hardship, household poverty, and employment. Associations between maternal depression and outcomes were analyzed using logistic regression and group-based trajectory modeling. RESULTS: In total, 12.2% of the sample met the criteria for a major depressive episode 1 year after delivery. Maternal depression had a strong and sustained positive association with material hardship and not working for pay in Years 3, 5, 9, and 15 after delivery. Maternal depression also had a significant positive association with household poverty across Years 3-9 and with unemployment in Year 3. Trajectory modeling established that maternal depression was associated with an increased probability of being in a persistently high-risk trajectory for material hardship, a high-risk trajectory for household poverty, and a high-declining risk trajectory for unemployment. CONCLUSIONS: Supporting perinatal mental health is crucial for strengthening the economic well-being of childbearing individuals and reducing the impact of maternal depression on intergenerational transmission of adversity.