Journal Article

Different patterns of depressive symptoms during pregnancy

Truijens, Sophie E. M., van Son, Maarten J. M., Pop, Victor J. M., Spek, Viola, Guid Oei, S.

2017

Overview

Recently, the US Preventive Services Task Force has advocated to screen pregnant and postpartum women for depression. However, we questioned the meaning of a single elevated depression score: does it represent just one episode of depression or do these symptoms persist throughout the entire pregnancy? This study assessed depressive symptoms at each trimester in a cohort of 1813 pregnant women and evaluated whether women with different patterns of depressive symptoms showed other characteristics. Depending on the trimester, elevated depression scores were prevalent in 10–15% of the pregnant women. Up to 4% reported persistent symptoms of depression throughout pregnancy. Different patterns of depressive symptoms were observed, for which persistent symptoms were related to other characteristics than incidentally elevated symptoms. Besides a previous history of mental health problems as best overall predictor, incidentally elevated depression scores were related to major life events. Furthermore, persistently depressive symptoms were related to unplanned pregnancy and multiparity. An EDS assessment at 12 weeks of gestation including three additional items (history of mental health problems, unplanned pregnancy and multiparity) enabled us to identify 83% of the women with persistent depressive symptoms. A depression screening strategy in pregnant women should take into account the potential chronicity of depressive symptoms by repeated assessments in order to offer an intervention to the most vulnerable women.

• Publisher: Springer Vienna,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adolescent / Care and treatment / Cohort Studies / Depression (Mood disorder) / Depression - diagnosis / Depression - epidemiology / Depression - psychology / Diagnosis / Female / Gestation / Humans / Mass Screening / Medical screening / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mental depression / Mental disorders / Mental health / Netherlands - epidemiology / Original / Original Article / Postpartum / Pregnancy / Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology / Pregnancy Complications - psychology / Pregnancy Trimester, First - psychology / Pregnancy Trimester, Second - psychology / Pregnancy Trimester, Third - psychology / Pregnancy Trimesters - psychology / Pregnant women / Pregnant Women - psychology / Prevalence / Prevention / Preventive medicine / Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Psychiatry / Psychological aspects / Psychotherapy / Risk Factors / Womens health / Young Adult