In honor of Maternal Health Awareness Week, Lakeside Behavioral would like to touch on potential precursors, anecdotal experiences linked to cultural factors, and preventive methods to perinatal mood disorders. 1 in 7 people suffer from perinatal mood disorders that seriously impact their quality of life and those around them. It is vital to have a comprehensive understanding of such a phenomenon that plagues nations worldwide. First up, we’d like to discuss potential precursors to perinatal mood disorders.

Potential Precursors to Perinatal Mood Disorders

In viewing potential precursors for perinatal mood disorders, it has been revealed that about 50% of people with perinatal mood disorders have a history of depression. However, it is still unclear why many people with a history of depression still do not develop perinatal depression. This serves as an indication that psychosocial factors may contribute significantly to the development of perinatal mood disorders, in which findings have shown numerous “personal and contextual factors influence postpartum mental health and illness” (Sword, Clark, et al. 2011).

Various research shows that rates of postpartum depression are highly variable between regions. An analysis of multiple variables shows that a previous history of depression, along with low household income, low postpartum social support (stemming from unplanned pregnancies), stressful life events, interpersonal violence, and poor self-perceived maternal health were all associated with perinatal depressive symptoms independent of each other (Dennis, Haemen, et al. 2012).

It is important to note that there are many kinds of trajectory patterns in which depressive symptoms can arise during pregnancy or postpartum. Some trajectory patterns to note for yourself or a loved one are the following: high depression during pregnancy/low postpartum, or “Pregnancy High,” borderline during pregnancy/increase postpartum, or “Postpartum High” and low throughout pregnancy and postpartum, or “Perinatal Low.” In the review that revealed such patterns, it was shown that people reporting unintended pregnancies showed an increased risk, and a strategy that can prevent postpartum depression is family planning. Additionally, a healthcare professional should screen for depression both during pregnancy and postpartum, and a person who tests positive for perinatal or postpartum depression should be offered culturally appropriate treatment. (Christensen, Stuart, et al. 2011).

Stay tuned as we continue our conversation on Maternal Mental Health this week in addressing sociocultural factors and preventive measures that can be taken to uphold maternal health.