Perinatal Depression Increases Risk for Death
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17, 2024 -- Women with clinically diagnosed perinatal depression have an increased risk for death, especially during the first year after diagnosis and because of suicide, according to a study published online Jan. 10 in The BMJ.
Naela Hagatulah, M.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues assessed whether women with perinatal depression have an increased risk for death compared to women who did not develop the disorder and their full sisters. The analysis included 86,551 Swedish women with a first-ever diagnosis of perinatal depression and 865,510 matched women without a perinatal depression diagnosis, as well as 270,586 full sisters (including 24,473 with perinatal depression and 246,113 who did not have this disorder).
The researchers found that compared with women who did not have perinatal depression, women with perinatal depression had an increased risk for death (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.11). Similar associations were observed among women who had and did not have a preexisting psychiatric disorder. Risk for death was increased more so for postpartum than for antepartum depression (HR, 2.71 versus 1.62). While the association was most pronounced within the first year after perinatal depression, it persisted for up to 18 years. The greatest increased risk was associated with suicide (HR, 6.34), although suicide was rare (0.23 per 1,000 person-years).
"Women affected by perinatal depression, their families, and health professionals, particularly those working in primary, maternal, and mental care, need to be aware of the serious health hazards regardless of psychiatric history," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2024
Read this next
Perinatal Suicide Tied to Intimate Partner Problems, Depression, Substance Use
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- Perinatal suicide is often associated with intimate partner problems (IPPs) and behavioral health issues, according to a study published online...
High Social Media Use Tied to Depression in Only Some Teens
TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- High social media use is only tied to increased depression in teens who are already vulnerable, according to a study published online June 26 in...
Small Differences in Weight Change With First-Line Antidepressants
MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- For eight first-line antidepressants, small differences are seen in mean weight change, with the least weight gain with bupropion, according to a study...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.