Cohort study, 2020
Does having PMS before pregnancy predict postpartum depression?
Yes. Women with a history of PMS or PMDD were at higher risk for depression after childbirth, especially if they had previous depression.
What they did
A cohort study of 687 women (192 with a depression history, 495 without). Depression was measured during late pregnancy, 1 to 2 weeks after birth, and 4 to 6 weeks after birth using a standard depression scale. Women reported their history of PMS or PMDD.
What they found
Women with a depression history were twice as likely to develop peripartum depression as women without this history. A history of PMS or PMDD before pregnancy was associated with higher odds of peripartum depression. Peripartum depression was most common in women with both a depression history and PMS or PMDD.
What it means for you
If you had PMS or PMDD before pregnancy, you have higher risk of postpartum depression and should be screened during pregnancy. The main limitation is that PMS was based on what women remembered rather than measured when it actually occurred.
687
women studied
192
with depression history
2
times higher risk with depression history
About the study
- Original title
- Longitudinal assessment of symptoms of postpartum mood disorder in women with and without a history of depression
- Authors
- Pataky EA, Ehlert U
- Journal
- Archives of women's mental health
- Year
- 2020
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 495
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s00737-019-00990-4
Topics
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