New research reveals early warning signs for postnatal depression
The symptoms that are early indicators of postpartum depression
- Perinatal depression affects one in five mothers, yet over half of cases remain undetected, meaning many women do not receive necessary treatment.
- New research published in Nature Mental Health indicates that a mother's vulnerability to perinatal depressive symptoms could be identified as early as the second trimester of pregnancy.
- A study involving over 600 women in Sweden found that those who reported greater difficulty regulating their emotions in the second trimester experienced higher depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy and up to six months after giving birth.
- These associations persisted even when accounting for other known risk factors, suggesting that self-reported problems with emotion regulation could serve as an early indicator for perinatal depression.
- Identifying at-risk women early through simple questionnaires could enable targeted support and interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy or mindfulness, to strengthen emotional resilience and improve long-term wellbeing for both mother and child.