Helen Bradshaw1, Julia N Riddle1, Rodion Salimgaraev2, Liudmila Zhaunova2, Jennifer L Payne3. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Women's Mood Disorders Center, 550 North Broadway, Suite 305, Baltimore, MD 21025, USA. 2. Flo Health, Inc. 1013 Centre Road, Suite 403-B, Wilmington, DE, 19805, USA. 3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Women's Mood Disorders Center, 550 North Broadway, Suite 305, Baltimore, MD 21025, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, Reproductive Pschiatry Research Program, PO Box 800548, Charlottesville, VA 22908. Electronic address: jlp4n@virginia.edu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between maternal age, parity, gestational number (singleton vs twin), newborn gender and self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) in a large multinational sample using survey data from a digital telephone application. METHODS: Women using the Flo app answered a survey (available in 10 languages) from January 2018 to April 2020. A survey question asking about emotional state was used to determine the presence of PDS. Chi-squared statistics were used to compare groups. A weighted mean prevalence was calculated based upon the socioeconomic status and reproductive population of each country in 2020. RESULTS: Over a million women from 138 countries participated. Of all respondents, 9.4% endorsed PDS. The weighted mean prevalence of PDS was 11%. We found that PDS decreased with advancing age. First-time mothers reported higher rates of PDS. Twin births were associated with a higher symptom burden than singleton births and mothers of twins in the oldest age group reported the greatest burden. We did not find a clinically significant difference in rates of PDS between mothers of singleton girls and boys. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine risk factors for postpartum symptoms using the same survey across a large international population. These results can further research and clinical aims to identify and treat maternal depression more effectively. LIMITATIONS: Data was aggregated, thereby limiting analysis of individual associations. The survey was self-report and not diagnostic for postpartum depression. Generalizability of risks of postpartum depression should be approached with caution.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between maternal age, parity, gestational number (singleton vs twin), newborn gender and self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) in a large multinational sample using survey data from a digital telephone application. METHODS: Women using the Flo app answered a survey (available in 10 languages) from January 2018 to April 2020. A survey question asking about emotional state was used to determine the presence of PDS. Chi-squared statistics were used to compare groups. A weighted mean prevalence was calculated based upon the socioeconomic status and reproductive population of each country in 2020. RESULTS: Over a million women from 138 countries participated. Of all respondents, 9.4% endorsed PDS. The weighted mean prevalence of PDS was 11%. We found that PDS decreased with advancing age. First-time mothers reported higher rates of PDS. Twin births were associated with a higher symptom burden than singleton births and mothers of twins in the oldest age group reported the greatest burden. We did not find a clinically significant difference in rates of PDS between mothers of singleton girls and boys. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine risk factors for postpartum symptoms using the same survey across a large international population. These results can further research and clinical aims to identify and treat maternal depression more effectively. LIMITATIONS: Data was aggregated, thereby limiting analysis of individual associations. The survey was self-report and not diagnostic for postpartum depression. Generalizability of risks of postpartum depression should be approached with caution.
Authors: Barnaby J W Dixson; Danielle Borg; Kym M Rae; Koa Whittingha; Brenda Gannon; Steven M McPhail; Hannah E Carter; Karen M Moritz; Roslyn N Boyd; Samudragupta Bora; Sailesh Kumar; Julanne Frater; Daniel Schweitzer; Paul Miller; Divya Mehter; Vicki L Clifton Journal: Arch Womens Ment Health Date: 2022-08-19 Impact factor: 4.405
Authors: Rebecca Waller; Sara L Kornfield; Lauren K White; Barbara H Chaiyachati; Ran Barzilay; Wanjikũ Njoroge; Julia Parish-Morris; Andrea Duncan; Megan M Himes; Yuheiry Rodriguez; Jakob Seidlitz; Valerie Riis; Heather H Burris; Raquel E Gur; Michal A Elovitz Journal: Arch Womens Ment Health Date: 2022-08-28 Impact factor: 4.405