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In the literature
Every day in 2020, approximately 800 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth - meaning that a woman dies around every two minutes.
The Impact of Maternal Depression on Children: A Call for Maternal Depression Screening - Maternal depression is increasingly recognized as a major public health concern due to its widespread damaging consequences for both mother and child. Women have a 2-fold increased lifetime risk of major depression (~14%) compared with men, and approximately 10% of mothers experience clinical depression each year while countless more present with depressive symptoms. Studies show high rates of depression in mothers who are white or Native American, represent low education and income levels, and are unemployed or unmarried. Hispanic and black mothers have lower rates of depression but are less likely to receive care for depression and more likely to experience life adversities and to have worse functioning. Ultimately, 1 in 10 children are cared for by a depressed mother, which affects child outcomes in cognitive and emotional development, behavior, health practices, social adaptation, access to health care, and home safety risk. The research, particularly on postpartum depression, clarifies that child outcomes are affected by parental mood disorders. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have called for postpartum depression screening of all mothers from birth through the first year of the child’s life.
Perinatal Depression: Challenges and Opportunities - Perinatal depression (PND) is a major depressive episode during pregnancy or within 4 weeks after childbirth up to a year. Risk factors for PND include stressful life events, history of depression, poor social support, unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, poor relationship quality, current or previous abuse, and low socio- economic status. This mental disorder has been shown to have negative effects on mothers’ quality of life and their intimate relationships, birth outcomes, and breastfeeding likelihood, as well as long-term effects on children’s cognitive and emotional development. To date, no nationally representative study has examined whether there are socioeconomic and/or racial/ethnic differences in PND. This study discusses the prevalence and risk factors for PND, as well as its health consequences for mothers and children, the reasons for its underreporting and undertreatment, the evidence for different screening instruments and different treatment options, and the existing supportive policies to address this disorder in the United States. We conclude with outlining next steps in addressing the gaps in the literature on PND.
Screening for perinatal depression - Perinatal depression is prevalent, under-diagnosed and can have serious long-term effects on the wellbeing of women, their partners and infants. In the absence of active identification strategies, most women with perinatal depression will neither seek nor receive help. To enable early detection and timely intervention, universal screening is coming to be seen as best practice in many settings. Although the strength of recommendations and the preferred methods of identification vary in different countries (e.g. the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, brief case-finding questions), appropriate training for health professionals in wider psychosocial assessment is essential to maximise usefulness while minimising potential harms. Clear pathways of systematic follow up of all positive screening results with a diagnostic procedure and access to effective treatment are centrally important both for the clinical effectiveness of screening and for health system costs.
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