Examining the Prevalence of Peripartum Depressive Symptoms in a Border Community

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is one of the most common complications in pregnancy, affecting 10% to 20% of women. Untreated peripartum depression increases the risk of adverse life events, more considerable distress, homelessness, and illness later in life. This study explored the prevalence of peripartum depression and associated demographic characteristics in a population of low-income, Healthy Start program participants in one New Mexico county along the U.S.–Mexico border where knowledge of depression prevalence is lacking. Materials and Methods: Healthy Start caseworkers routinely administered the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to all pregnant and recently pregnant program participants between 2009 and 2017. Scores for the first prenatal screen, first postpartum screen, and all screens for 1453 women were studied. A score of >10 points out of a possible 30 indicated a positive screen. Screening outcome was examined in relation to age, race, ethnicity, primary language, and trimester of the prenatal screen. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were generated from logistic regression models. Results: Overall, 16.4% of women screened positive for depression. English-speaking women, non-Hispanic white women, and those ages >35 years were more likely to screen positive. Women >35 years also had higher odds of reporting thoughts of self-harm than younger women. Conclusion: In this low-income border population, non-Hispanic white, English-speaking women over the age of 35 were at the greatest risk of peripartum depression. These findings underscore the need for peripartum depression screening in this population.

Associated factors of depression in primiparas with hypothyroidism during pregnancy

“…Long term, these women suffer from excessive psychological pressure and are prone to depression. [ 13 , 14 ] (3) Sleep quality: signal synchronization is significantly higher in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, the cuneus, and the dorsal prefrontal cortex in people with poor sleep quality. The lateral orbitofrontal cortex is the brain functional area related to negative emotions, the dorsal prefrontal cortex is the brain functional area related to short-term memory, and the cuneus is the brain functional area related to self-correlation.…”

Suicide and Maternal Mortality

“…Among racially and ethnically diverse women enrolled in a Women Infant and Children (WIC) clinic, the prevalence of suicidal ideation was almost 5% and 13 times higher among women with depression [ 39 ]. In a town along the US-Mexico border, among women living in poverty with depressive symptoms, women > 35 years had higher odds of reporting thoughts of self-harm than younger women [ 40 ]. Among migrant and refugee perinatal women living on the Thailand-Myanmar border, 5% (30/568) experienced suicidal ideation [ 41 ].…”

“…For non-Hispanic white women, mental health conditions were the leading cause of death. Mental illness, substance use, and intimate partner violence are common risk factors among women who died of both medical and nonmedical causes de la Rosa et al [ 40 ] Examining the Prevalence of Peripartum Depression Symptoms in a Border Community Secondary data analysis of case series observational data Health Start program participates in New Mexico, first trimester up to 8 weeks postpartum 1453 women EPDS SI Older women (> 35 years old) had significantly higher odds of scoring positive for thoughts of self-harm than younger women at all peripartum screenings (adjusted OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.41–8.08). Doherty et al [ 80 ] Suicidality in Women with Adjustment Disorder and Depressive Episodes Attending an Irish Perinatal Mental Health Service Post hoc analysis of multicenter-case control study Perinatal women attending Irish Perinatal Mental Health service 45 perinatal women, 109 matched controls SIS, SSI, IDS-C30 SI In the perinatal group, 22.2% reported SI or behaviors; this was more common in those w/ diagnosis of adjustment disorder rather than depressive episode although this was not statistically significant.…”

Depression in pregnant Hispanic women: Risk factors, pregnancy outcomes and plasma cytokines

“…Prenatal depression incidence is reported to be higher in both immigrant and U.S.-born Hispanics living in the United States, compared to Caucasians, with reported ranges between at 11% and 50% ( Kuo et al, 2004 ; Lara et al, 2009 ). Incidence of prenatal depression (using the EPDS) in Hispanic women in a large New Mexico population was 12.7% for Spanish compared to English speaking pregnant women ( de la Rosa et al, 2021 ). In another study in late pregnancy, there were nearly a third of the Hispanic women with EPDS scores above the cutoff for probable depression, but the birth origins were not provided ( Lara-Cinisomo, D'Anna-Hernandez, Fujimoto and Pedersen, 2019 ).…”