Postpartum anxiety affects more than 1 in 10 new mothers worldwide, yet researchers still can’t agree on how to define or measure it. This new review in The Lancet Psychiatry takes stock of what we know so far and why the field urgently needs consensus.
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What if perinatal mental health started in the gut? New research from Finland suggests certain bacteria may be associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy and after birth, raising questions about inflammation, causality, and the future of microbiome-based screening and treatment.
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More than 1 in 5 women experience mental health difficulties during pregnancy or after birth. Could boosting resilience help prevent mental health problems during and after pregnancy? This systematic review investigates the evidence, limitations, and implications for practice.
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Shuichi Suetani and Sarah Thomas highlight new research from Korea which suggests that antipsychotic medications do seem to help reduce the relapse of schizophrenia in pregnant women.
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Flo Martin explores a recent cohort study of Danish registry data that investigate whether women with a history of depression associated with using hormonal contraception were also at a higher risk of developing postpartum depression.
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In her debut blog, Kyla Vaillancourt summarises an umbrella review, which suggests that CBT is the most effective treatment for reducing symptoms of perinatal depression. However, many questions remain about psychological support for mothers, infants and families during the perinatal period.
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Briana Applewhite summarises a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of physical activity during pregnancy and the risk of postpartum depression.
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Janes Iles and Annette Eneberi summarise a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of current research evidence on anxiety disorders and their prevalence amongst postpartum women.
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Susie Johnson summarises a systematic review that explores the relationship between sleep disruption and postpartum mental illness, which reports a link between self-reported poor sleep during and after pregnancy and the development of postpartum depression.
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Clinical Psychologist Sarah McDonald writes her debut blog on a recent cohort study of breastfeeding and postpartum depression, which concludes that the effect of breastfeeding on maternal depression is extremely heterogeneous.
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