Findings seen in large cohort of mothers followed for median 6.9 years, with highest excess risk in first year after diagnosis<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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FRIDAY, Jan. 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Mothers with clinically diagnosed perinatal depression (PND) had a three times higher risk for suicidal behavior than mothers without perinatal depression, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in\u00a0JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Hang Yu, from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues examined the association between PND and risk for short- and long-term suicidal behavior. The analysis included 86,551 women with PND (2001 to 2017) and 865,510 unaffected women individually matched on age and calendar year at delivery.<\/p>\n During a median 6.91 years of follow-up, the researchers found that more events of suicidal behavior (incidence rate [IR], 5.62 per 1,000 person-years) were identified among women with PND compared with unaffected women (IR, 1.01 per 1,000 person-years). Compared with unaffected women, women with PND also had an elevated risk for suicidal behavior (hazard ratio [HR], 3.15). Risk was somewhat attenuated when comparing PND women with their PND-free sisters (HR, 2.75). In a matched analysis, the association was greater for postnatal depression and among women without a history of psychiatric disorders. In the first year after diagnosis, the excess risk was pronounced (HR, 7.20), but remained statistically significant over five to 18 years of follow-up (HR, 2.34).<\/p>\n “These findings suggest that vigilant clinical monitoring and interventions are needed for this vulnerable population to prevent such devastating events,” the authors write.<\/p>\n One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n