Maternal and paternal depression and child mental health trajectories: evidence from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Factors associated with depressive symptoms among 1,502 couples in the immediate puerperium

BACKGROUND

Historically, perinatal depression has predominantly focussed on the mother-baby dyad, often neglecting the crucial role of fathers.

AIM

To determine the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms in the immediate puerperium (PDS) in both mothers and fathers, individually and concurrently.

METHOD

This study employed a cross-sectional design. The presence of PDS was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), with a cut-off score of ⩾11 for mothers and ⩾9 for fathers. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors independently associated with PDS. Robustness of findings was verified through sensitivity analyses among participants without prior psychiatric conditions.

RESULTS

Among 1,502 partnered mothers and fathers aged ⩾18 years who met the inclusion criteria, PDS were present in 13.0% of mothers, 10.5% of fathers and 3.5% of both parents. Mother-baby skin-to-skin contact and the father's pregnancy planning were associated with a lower likelihood of PDS in mothers. For fathers, financial difficulties increased the likelihood of experiencing PDS threefold. The presence of PDS in mothers quadrupled the likelihood of PDS in fathers, and vice versa; their EPDS scores demonstrated a moderate correlation (rs = .38). Among participants without prior psychiatric conditions, the odds of co-occurring PDS nearly tripled if the mother had a history of abortion or miscarriage. Fathers who had increased potentially addictive behaviours showed a six-fold increase in the likelihood of experiencing PDS.

CONCLUSIONS

Identifying depressive symptoms in both parents and incorporating fathers into clinical practice, research and health policy could enhance mental health outcomes in vulnerable populations.

Parental psychiatric disorders and age-specific risk for offspring major depression: Finnish nationwide register-based study

BACKGROUND

Limited studies have examined the association between the whole range of parental psychopathology and offspring major depression (MD). No previous study has examined this association by age of onset of offspring MD, or restricting to parental psychiatric diagnoses before offspring birth.

METHODS

This nested case-control study included 37,677 cases of MD and 145,068 controls, identified from Finnish national registers. Conditional logistic regression models examined the association between parental psychopathology and MD, adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Increased risk of MD, expressed as adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (aOR [95% CI]) were most strongly observed for maternal diagnoses of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders (2.51 [2.24-2.82]) and depression (2.19 [2.11-2.28]), and paternal diagnoses of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders (2.0 [1.75-2.29]) and conduct disorders (1.90 [1.40-2.59]). The aORs for any psychiatric diagnosis were (2.66 [2.54-2.78]) for mothers, (1.95 [1.86-2.04]) for fathers, and (4.50 [4.24-4.79]) for both parents. When both parents had any psychiatric diagnosis, the highest risk was for MD diagnosed at the age of 5-12 years (7.66 [6.60-8.89]); versus at 13-18 years (4.13 [3.85-4.44]) or 19-25 years (3.37 [2.78-4.07]). A stronger association with parental psychopathology and offspring MD was seen among boys than girls, especially among 13-19 years and 19-25 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Parental psychiatric disorders, including those diagnosed before offspring birth, were associated with offspring MD, indicating potential genetic and environmental factors in the development of the disorder.

Economic costs of perinatal depression and anxiety in a lower middle income country: Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Women's mental health during the perinatal period is a major public health problem in Pakistan. Many challenges and competing priorities prevent progress to address the large treatment gap. Aim To quantify the long-term impacts of untreated perinatal depression and anxiety in economic terms, thus highlighting its overall burden based on country-specific evidence.

METHODS

Cost estimates were generated for a hypothetical cohort of women giving birth in 2017, and their children. Women and children experiencing adverse events linked to perinatal mental health problems were modelled over 40 years. Costs assigned to adverse events included were those linked to losses in quantity and quality-of-life, productivity, and healthcare-related expenditure. Present values were derived using a discount rate of 3 %. Data were taken from published cohort studies, as well as from sources of population, economic and health indicators.

RESULTS

The total costs were $16.5 billion for the cohort and $2680 per woman giving birth. The by far largest proportion referred to quality-of-life losses ($15.8 billion). Productivity losses and out-of-pocket expenditure made up only a small proportion of the costs, due to low wages and market prices. When the costs of maternal suicide were included, total costs increased to $16.6 billion.

LIMITATIONS

Important evidence gaps prevented the inclusion of all cost consequences linked to perinatal mental health problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Total national costs are much higher compared with those in other, higher middle-income countries, reflecting the excessive disease burden. This study is an important first step to inform resource allocations.

Diagnosis of peripartum depression disorder: A state-of-the-art approach from the COST Action Riseup-PPD

BACKGROUND

Peripartum depression (PPD) is a major depression disorder (MDD) episode with onset during pregnancy or within four weeks after childbirth, as defined in DSM-5. However, research suggests that PPD may be a distinct diagnosis. The goal of this study was to summarize the similarities and differences between PPD and MDD by synthesizing the current research on PPD diagnosis concerning different clinical features and give directions for improving diagnosis of PPD in clinical practice.

METHODS

To lay the groundwork for this narrative review, several databases were searched using general search phrases on PPD and its components of clinical diagnosis.

RESULTS

When compared to MDD, peripartum depression exhibits several distinct characteristics. PPD manifests with a variety of symptoms, i.e., more anxiety, psychomotor symptoms, obsessive thoughts, impaired concentration, fatigue and loss of energy, but less sad mood and suicidal ideation, compared to MDD. Although PPD and MDD prevalence rates are comparable, there are greater cross-cultural variances for PPD. Additionally, PPD has some distinct risk factors and mechanisms such as distinct ovarian tissue expression, premenstrual syndrome, unintended pregnancy, and obstetric complications.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for more in-depth research comparing MDD with depression during pregnancy and the entire postpartum year. The diagnostic criteria should be modified, particularly with (i) addition of specific symptoms (i.e., anxiety), (ii) onset specifier extending to the first year following childbirth, (iii) and change the peripartum onset specifier to either "pregnancy onset" or "postpartum onset". Diagnostic criteria for PPD are further discussed.

Longitudinal associations between paternal mental health and child behavior and cognition in middle childhood

Introduction

Paternal mental health has been associated with adverse consequences on offspring psychosocial development, and family environmental factors may partly explain those associations. To clarify this, we need comprehensive prospective studies, particularly in middle-childhood when the child enters school and is expected to make use of behavioral and cognitive skills as part of their interactions and learning.

Method

Using data from a sub-sample of the prospective 3D birth cohort study comprised of mother-father-child triads, and a follow-up of the parents and the children at 6-8 years of age (n = 61; 36 boys, 25 girls), we examined whether paternal anxious and depressive symptoms measured during the pregnancy period (i.e., prenatally) or concurrently when the child was assessed at 6-8 years old were associated with children's cognition/behavior.

Results

In contrast to our hypotheses, we found that greater prenatal paternal depressive symptoms predicted fewer child behavioral difficulties; and that greater concurrent childhood paternal depression or anxiety symptoms were associated with higher child full-scale IQ, controlling for the equivalent maternal mental health assessment and parental education. Father parenting perception did not mediate these associations, nor were they moderated by maternal mental health at the concurrent assessment, or paternal ratings of marital relationship quality.

Discussion

These findings suggest that higher symptoms of paternal mental health symptoms are associated with fewer child behavioral difficulties and higher cognitive performance in middle childhood. Potential clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.

Long-Term Maternal and Child Outcomes Following Postnatal SSRI Treatment

Importance

Although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are recommended for postnatal depression treatment, there is a lack of evidence regarding long-term maternal and child outcomes following postnatal SSRI treatment.

Objective

To examine whether postnatal SSRI treatment moderated postnatal depression-associated maternal and child outcomes across early childhood years.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study used longitudinal data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. Participating women were recruited in weeks 17 to 18 of pregnancy from 1999 to 2008 and were prospectively followed up after childbirth. Data analysis was performed between December 2021 to October 2022.

Exposure

Postnatal depression diagnosis (a binary indicator of eligibility for treatment) was defined as a score of 7 or greater on the 6-item version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The Hopkins Symptom Checklist was used as a continuous indicator of and postnatal depressive symptomology at postpartum month 6. Postnatal SSRI treatment was identified using self-reported data at postpartum month 6.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Maternal outcomes included self-reported depression symptomology and relationship satisfaction from childbirth to postpartum year 5. Child outcomes included maternal-report internalizing and externalizing problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, and motor and language development at ages 1.5, 3, and 5 years. A propensity score adjustment method was used to control for prenatal factors associated with postnatal SSRI exposure probability.

Results

Among a total of 61 081 mother-child dyads, 8671 (14.2%) (mean [SD] age, 29.93 [4.76] years) met the criteria for postnatal depression diagnosis, 177 (2.0%) (mean [SD] age, 30.20 [5.01] years) of whom received postnatal SSRI treatment. More severe postnatal depression symptomology was associated with a range of adverse maternal and child outcomes. Focusing analyses only on the postnatal depression dyads indicated that postnatal SSRI treatment attenuated negative associations between postnatal depression and maternal relationship satisfaction at postpartum month 6 (moderation β, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.07-0.19), years 1.5 (moderation β, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.05-0.18) and 3 (moderation β, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.04-0.19), and for child ADHD at age 5 years (moderation β, -0.15; 95% CI, -0.24 to -0.05). Postnatal SSRI treatment mitigated the negative associations between postnatal depression and maternal depression, partner relationship satisfaction, child externalizing problems, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder up to 5 years after childbirth.

Conclusions and Relevance

The results of this large prospective cohort study suggest that postnatal SSRI treatment was associated with a reduced risk of postnatal depression-associated maternal mental health problems and child externalizing behaviors across early childhood years. These findings suggest that postnatal SSRI treatment may bring benefits in the long term to women with postnatal depression and their offspring. This study potentially provides valuable information for clinicians and women with postnatal depression to make informed treatment decisions.

Insights of Parents and Parents-To-Be in Using Chatbots to Improve Their Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Health: A Mixed Studies Review

INTRODUCTION

Chatbots, which are also known as conversational or virtual agents, are digital programs that can interact with humans using voice, text, or animation. They have shown promise in providing preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum care. This review aims to consolidate the insights of parents and parents-to-be in using chatbots to improve their preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum health.

METHODS

Seven electronic databases were searched from their inception dates until April 2022 (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global) for relevant studies. English language primary studies that were conducted on parents or parents-to-be aged ≥18 years old who had undergone interventions involving the use of any type of chatbot were included in this review. The quality of included studies was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A convergent qualitative synthesis design for mixed studies reviews was used to synthesize the findings, and results were thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria: quantitative (n = 11), qualitative (n = 1), and mixed method (n = 3). Three main themes were identified: (1) welcoming a new health resource, (2) obstacles blocking the way, and (3) moving toward a digital health era.

DISCUSSION

Parents and parents-to-be appreciated the informational, socioemotional, and psychological support provided by chatbots. Recommendations for technological improvements in the functionality of the chatbots were made that include training sessions for health care providers to familiarize them with this new digital technology. Multidisciplinary chatbot development teams could also be established to develop more comprehensive chatbot-delivered health programs for more diverse populations.

Maternal prenatal psychological distress and motor/cognitive development in two-year-old offspring: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

Maternal prenatal psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, may affect offspring's motor/cognitive development. However, research findings have been inconsistent. We used a dataset from the Japan Environment and Children's Study to evaluate associations between maternal six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) scores and motor/cognitive development among offspring at two years of age. Their offspring's motor/cognitive development was assessed using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001. Records for 1859 male and 1817 female offspring were analyzed. The maternal K6 was administered twice during pregnancy: at a median of 14.6 weeks (M-T1) and 27.3 weeks (M-T2) of gestation. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the group with K6 scores ≤4 at both M-T1 and M-T2 as a reference. In the group with K6 scores ≥5 at both M-T1 and M-T2, male offspring had significantly lower developmental quotients (DQ) in the posture-motor area (partial regression coefficient [B]: -3.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -5.92 to -1.44) and language-social area (B: -1.93; 95%CI: -3.73 to -0.12), while female offspring had a lower DQ for the language-social area (B: -1.95; 95%CI: -3.73 to -0.17). In those with K6 scores ≥5 only at M-T1 or M-T2, male and female offspring did not differ significantly in DQ for any area. Continuous maternal psychological distress from the first to the second half of pregnancy was associated with lower motor and verbal cognitive development in male offspring and lower verbal cognitive development in female offspring at 2 years compared with the group without persistent maternal prenatal psychological distress.

Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance

Even though studies have shown that prenatal maternal stress is associated with increased reactivity of the HPA axis, the association between prenatal maternal stress and fetal glucocorticoid exposure is complex and most likely dependent on unidentified and poorly understood variables including nature and timing of prenatal insults. The precise mechanisms in which prenatal maternal stress influence neuroendocrine signaling between the maternal-placental-fetal interface are still unclear. The aim of this review article is to bring comprehensive basic concepts about prenatal maternal stress and mechanisms of transmission of maternal stress to the fetus. This review covers recent studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring aggressive behavior, as well as the possible pathways for the “transmission” of maternal stress to the fetus: (1) maternal-fetal HPA axis dysregulation; (2) intrauterine environment disruption due to variations in uterine artery flow; (3) epigenetic modifications of genes implicated in aggressive behavior. Here, we present evidence for the phenomenon of intergenerational and transgenerational transmission, to better understands the mechanism(s) of transmission from parent to offspring. We discuss studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring taking note of neuroendocrine, brain architecture and epigenetic changes that may suggest risk for aggressive behavior. We highlight animal and human studies that focus on intergenerational transmission following exposure to stress from a biological mechanistic point of view, and maternal stress-induced epigenetic modifications that have potential to impact on aggressive behavior in later generations.

The Transition to Parenthood in Obstetrics: Enhancing Prenatal Care for Two Generation Impact

Obstetrics, the specialty overseeing infant and parent health before birth, could be expanded to address the inter-related areas of parents' prenatal impact on children's brain development and their own psychosocial needs during a time of immense change and neuroplasticity. Obstetrics is primed for the shift that is happening in pediatrics, which is moving from its traditional focus on physical health to a coordinated, whole child, two or multi-generation approach. Pediatric care now includes developmental screening, parenting education, parent coaching, access to developmental specialists, brain-building caregiving skills, linkages to community resources, and tiered interventions with psychologists. Drawing on decades of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease research highlighting the prenatal beginnings of future health and new studies on the transition to parenthood describing adult development from pregnancy to early postpartum, we propose that, similar to pediatrics, the integration of education and intervention strategies into the prenatal care ecosystem should be tested for its potential to improve child cognitive and social-emotional development and parental mental health. Pediatric care programs can serve as models of change for the systematic development, testing and, incorporation of new content into prenatal care as universal, first-tier treatment as well as evidenced-based, triaged interventions according to level of need. To promote optimal beginnings for the whole family, we propose an augmented prenatal care ecosystem that aligns with, and could build on, current major efforts to enhance perinatal care individualization through consideration of medical, social, and structural determinants of health.

Costs of common perinatal mental health problems in South Africa

BACKGROUND

Perinatal mental health problems, defined as mental health problems occurring from the start of pregnancy to one year after birth, substantially affect women's and children's quality of life in low- and middle-income countries. In South Africa, despite high prevalence and documented negative impacts, most women do not receive any care.

METHODS

A modelling study examined the costs of perinatal mental health problems, namely depression and anxiety, for a hypothetical cohort of women and their children in South Africa over part of their life course (10 years for women, 40 years for children). In sensitivity analysis, additional impacts of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and completed suicide were included. Data sources were published findings from cohort studies, as well as epidemiological and economic data from South Africa. Data from international studies were considered where no data from South Africa were available.

RESULTS

Lifetime costs of perinatal depression and anxiety in South Africa amount to USD 2.8 billion per annual cohort of births. If the impacts of PTSD and suicide are included, costs increase to USD 2.9 billion. This includes costs linked to losses in quality of life (USD 1.8 billion), losses in income (USD 1.1 billion) and public sector costs (USD 3.5 million).

CONCLUSIONS

Whilst important progress has been made in South Africa with regards to mental health policies and interventions that include assessment and management of perinatal mental health problems, substantial underinvestment prevents progress. Findings from this study strengthen the economic case for investing in perinatal mental health care.