Open AccessThe clinical utility of maternal self‐reported personal and familial psychiatric history in identifying women at risk for postpartum depression
Author(s) -
DENNIS CINDYLEE,
ROSS LORI E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1080/00016340600697595
Subject(s) - medicine , postpartum depression , edinburgh postnatal depression scale , psychiatric history , postpartum period , depression (economics) , history of depression , family history , odds ratio , psychiatry , pregnancy , anxiety , antenatal depression , population , obstetrics , depressive symptoms , genetics , macroeconomics , environmental health , economics , biology
Background. To determine whether maternal self‐reported data on personal and family psychiatric history would significantly predict postpartum depressive symptomatology at 8 weeks postpartum and to examine which of these variables were the most predictive for inclusion in an obstetrical clinical assessment aimed at early identification of postpartum depression. Methods. As part of a longitudinal study, a population‐based sample of 622 women completed mailed questionnaires at 1 and 8 weeks postpartum. Results. At 8 weeks postpartum, mothers who indicated that they had any personal psychiatric history were almost four times more likely to exhibit depressive symptomatology (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score > 9) than those with no previous mental health difficulties (odds ratio [OR] 3.65, 95% CI 2.30–5.82). Any family psychiatric history was not a significant risk factor. Variables most predictive of depressive symptomatology at 8 weeks, explaining 42% of the variance, included: maternal antenatal depression (OR 3.77, p = 0.03), maternal history of postpartum depression (OR 2.21, p = 0.02), and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score >9 at 1 week postpartum (OR 18.23, p <0.001). Conclusions. The results suggest that maternal variables, particularly those related to the index and past pregnancies, not family psychiatric history, are the best predictors of postpartum depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of assessing symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy and the early postpartum period, in order to facilitate timely identification of women at risk for developing postpartum depression.