Mothers face increased risk of depression and psychosis after childbirth – study

Depression and psychosis are more common in women after childbirth than before, while suicide attempts fall, according to two major studies in Sweden.

Researchers analysed nearly 1.8m pregnancies between 2003 and 2019 and found that mental ill health has risen over time, especially before pregnancy.

During pregnancy, new diagnoses decline, but after childbirth, risks increase again, particularly for depression and psychosis.

The research showed that depression risk rises by 20 per cent during weeks five to 15 after childbirth compared with the year before pregnancy.

Psychosis – a condition where people lose touch with reality – increases up to sevenfold during the first 20 weeks after childbirth.

Scientists from Karolinska Institutet tracked women’s diagnoses before, during and after pregnancy using Swedish national health registers.

They found that psychiatric conditions follow distinct patterns around pregnancy, with depression and psychosis peaking after delivery.

“We can see that the risk of depression is about 20 per cent higher during weeks 5 to 15 after childbirth, compared to the year before pregnancy. For psychosis, the risk is up to seven times higher during the first 20 weeks after childbirth,” said Emma Bränn, researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet.

The introduction of national screening guidelines for pregnant women in Sweden in 2020 appears to have helped identify depression earlier.

Women who gave birth after the guidelines were introduced were diagnosed with depression sooner than those who delivered before 2020.

“We don’t see that more people are being diagnosed, but screening could mean that women are identified earlier and don’t have to suffer as long before they can get the support and help they need,” Bränn explained.

Another study by the same group examined suicide risk.

Mothers were found to be less likely to attempt suicide during and after pregnancy compared with fathers – the reverse of trends in the general population, where women usually have higher rates of attempts.

Fathers showed a brief dip in suicide risk during the first ten weeks after birth, followed by an increase.

“Our results suggest that both mothers and fathers are less likely to attempt suicide immediately after having a child, especially mothers,” said Yihui Yang, PhD student at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet.

“Although suicide attempts during and after pregnancy are rare, they can have devastating consequences and are often preventable.

“It is therefore important that healthcare providers conduct regular check-ups during and after pregnancy to identify parents who are struggling and offer support to prevent suicide.”

The studies also found that other psychiatric conditions – including anxiety, stress-related disorders and substance abuse – decline during pregnancy and after childbirth compared with before pregnancy.

Researchers suggest this may reflect biological changes, lifestyle shifts and greater healthcare contact during pregnancy.