A prospective study of perinatal depression and trauma history in pregnant minority adolescents

Meltzer‐Brody, Samantha; Bledsoe-Mansori, Sarah E.; Johnson, Nell; Killian, Candace; Hamer, Robert M.; Jackson, Christine; Wessel, Julia; Thorp, John M.

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2012.12.020

Cited by 95 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…In particular, childhood sexual abuse and emotional abuse were associated with both depression and PTSD, while childhood physical abuse was associated only with PTSD. These associations during pregnancy, novel to the South African context, expand the research base from developed settings in which early maltreatment has been found to be a risk factor for mental disorders in the perinatal period (Benedict, Paine, Paine, Brandt, & Stallings, 1999; Huth-Bocks et al, 2013; Kulkarni, Graham-Bermann, Rauch, & Seng, 2011; Meltzer-Brody et al, 2013). A history of childhood trauma may predict antenatal mental health in various ways.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Maladaptive coping mediates the influence of childhood trauma on depression and PTSD among pregnant women in South Africa

Choi

Sikkema

Velloza

et al. 2015

Arch Womens Ment Health

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Antenatal mental disorders compromise maternal and child health, and women who have experienced childhood trauma may be at increased risk for such disorders. One hypothesis is that early trauma leads to the development and use of maladaptive coping strategies as an adult, which in turn could predict mental health difficulties during stressful transitions such as pregnancy. To test this hypothesis, this study examined the relationship between childhood trauma and mental health (depression, PTSD) in a sample of 84 pregnant women seeking antenatal care in Cape Town, South Africa, and explored whether maladaptive coping mediated this relationship. The majority of women (62%) met established criteria for antenatal depression and 30% for antenatal PTSD; in addition, 40% reported a history of childhood trauma. Childhood trauma, especially childhood sexual abuse and emotional abuse, was significantly associated with depression and PTSD. The relationships between childhood trauma and depression and PTSD were significantly mediated by maladaptive coping, even when adjusted for the woman’s age, gestational age, and HIV status. Findings highlight the need for coping-based interventions to prevent and treat antenatal mental disorders among women with childhood trauma, particularly in high-trauma settings such as South Africa.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Maladaptive coping mediates the influence of childhood trauma on depression and PTSD among pregnant women in South Africa

Choi

Sikkema

Velloza

et al. 2015

Arch Womens Ment Health

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“…6,31 Participants described complex trauma histories including child maltreatment, abandonment, assault, interpersonal violence, and traumatic loss. Clinicians should not underestimate the relevance and potential interconnection of adolescent women’s trauma history with their pregnancies, depression, and service experiences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2–5 Estimated rates of pregnant adolescent women with PND, ranging from 20–44%, are 2 and 4 times the rate of low-income women and middle-class women, respectively. 6–8 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pregnant adolescent women’s perceptions of depression and psychiatric services in the United States

et al. 2017

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Problem Adolescent mothers and their children are at high-risk for depression and the associated negative educational, social, health, and economic outcomes. Background However, few pregnant adolescent women with depression receive psychiatric services, especially low-income or racial/ethnic minority adolescent women. Aim This qualitative study explores perceptions of depression, psychiatric services, and barriers to accessing services in a sample of low-income, pregnant racial/ethnic minority adolescent women. Our goal was to better understand the experiences of depression during pregnancy for these vulnerable adolescent women, and thereby improve their engagement and retention in services for perinatal depression. Methods We recruited 20 pregnant adolescent women who screened positive for depression from 2 public health prenatal clinics in the southeastern United States. Participants were low-income and primarily racial/ethnic minority women between 14 and 20 years old. Data were collected through individual in-depth, ethnographically informed interviews. Findings Generally, participants lacked experience with psychiatric services and did not recognize their symptoms as depression. However, participants perceived a need for mood improvement and were interested in engaging in services that incorporated their perspective and openly addressed stigma. Discussion Participants reported practical and psychological barriers to service engagement, but identified few cultural barriers. Family perceptions of psychiatric services served as both a barrier and support. Conclusion Adolescent women are more likely to engage in psychiatric services if those services reduce practical and psychological barriers, promise relief from the symptoms perceived as most meaningful, and address underlying causes of depression. Culture may affect Latina adolescent women’s perceptions of depression and services.

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“…Moreover, ELS is associated with higher infant cortisol reactivity, more negative emotionality (Feldman et al, 2009), and deficient OT signaling in social interactions (Wismer Fries et al, 2005). Importantly, effects of ELS-exposure may be long lasting and are reliable predictors for later life MDD (Heim and Binder, 2012), PPD (Meltzer-Brody et al, 2013), dysregulated HPA axis reactivity (Heim et al, 2008), as well as lower CSF (Heim et al, 2009) and plasma (Opacka-Juffry and Mohiyeddini, 2012) OT concentrations. This co-occurrence of ELS-dependent alterations begs the question of whether abnormalities in bi-directional OT-HPA-axis communication may critically shape the relationship between ELS and psychiatric risk in adulthood.…”

Section: Ot and Early-life Stress (Els) – Role In Shaping Neural Cmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxytocin pathways in the intergenerational transmission of maternal early life stress

Toepfer

Heim

Entringer

et al. 2017

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

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Severe stress in early life, such as childhood abuse and neglect, constitutes a major risk factor in the etiology of psychiatric disorders and somatic diseases. Importantly, these long-term effects may impact the next generation. The intergenerational transmission of maternal early life stress (ELS) may occur via pre-and postnatal pathways, such as alterations in maternal-fetal-placental stress physiology, maternal depression during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as impaired mother-offspring interactions. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has gained considerable attention for its role in modulating all of these assumed transmission pathways. Moreover, central and peripheral OT signaling pathways are highly sensitive to environmental exposures and may be compromised by ELS with implications for these putative transmission mechanisms. Together, these data suggest that OT pathways play an important role in the intergenerational transmission of maternal ELS in humans. By integrating recent studies on gene-environment interactions and epigenetic modifications in OT pathway genes, the present review aims to develop a conceptual framework of intergenerational transmission of maternal ELS that emphasizes the role of OT.

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A prospective study of perinatal depression and trauma history in pregnant minority adolescents

Cited by 95 publications

References 42 publications

Maladaptive coping mediates the influence of childhood trauma on depression and PTSD among pregnant women in South Africa

Maladaptive coping mediates the influence of childhood trauma on depression and PTSD among pregnant women in South Africa

Pregnant adolescent women’s perceptions of depression and psychiatric services in the United States

Oxytocin pathways in the intergenerational transmission of maternal early life stress

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