depression

New ECHO Research Reveals Depression is More Common Among New Mothers of Preterm Babies

Posted on by Jodi Snare

New ECHO research reveals that increasing symptoms of depression may be more common among women who give birth to preterm babies compared to women who have their babies at full term. Mothers of preterm babies were also more likely to experience depression that lasted years after birth, and for many of these women, their symptoms of depression got worse over time. These findings resulted from a collaborative effort between ECHO researchers Danielle Roubinov, PhD of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Rashelle Musci, PhD of Johns Hopkins University, along with senior author Nicole Bush, PhD, of UCSF and other ECHO researchers.

Their research, titled “Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Mothers of Preterm and Full-Term Infants in a National Sample,“ is published in Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 

The research team collected data from approximately 11,300 women from 35 different ECHO cohorts across the United States that documented self-reported depression measures for women when they were pregnant and after they had their babies. Of these women, 11% had preterm births, and 89% had full-term babies. Follow-up assessments from the two groups of women were collected at least once within the first five years following childbirth to better understand the long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms s and potential opportunities for treatment.

“Having a baby is exciting, but it can also be stressful, and some women feel sad or anxious before and after their baby is born,” said Dr. Roubinov. “This period can be especially difficult for mothers when babies are born prematurely.”

Many mothers can struggle with their mental health after giving birth, and women who give birth prematurely may be particularly at risk of experiencing depressive symptoms related to the birth experience, neonatal care challenges, and ongoing concerns about the infant’s health and development.

“Currently, many doctors only ask women about how they feel when they are pregnant and for six months after birth,” said Dr. Musci. “This study showed us that we should be continuing to ask women about their mental health for years following their pregnancy while helping them to find the support they need.”

Future ECHO studies can add to this research by assessing intervention programs that can help support the mental health of new mothers, as maternal mental health is a critical influence on children’s development.

Learn more about depression during and after pregnancy through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NIH.

Read the Research Summary.

Depression in New Mothers Is Common, Especially When Babies Are Born Too Early

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Depression in New Mothers Is Common, Especially When Babies Are Born Too Early

Author(s): Nicole Bush, Danielle Roubinov, Rashelle Musci, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

Footnote: The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

 

What were the study results?

During the first five years following childbirth, one out of every five mothers who gave birth to a preterm baby had symptoms of depression, while one out of every ten mothers who gave birth to a full-term baby had symptoms of depression. For mothers of preterm infants, it was also more common to have symptoms that got worse over time compared to women who gave birth to full-term babies. The most severe symptoms of depression were seen in women who gave birth early.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions.

 

What was the study's impact?

This study supports previous reports that many mothers struggle with their mental health after giving birth, and women who have preterm babies may be particularly at risk for symptoms of depression—such as sadness, stress, anxiety, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Maternal mental health can influence their child’s health and development. Right now, doctors only screen women for depression symptoms when they are pregnant and for six months after they have their babies. This study shows that some women continue to struggle with depression for years after they give birth or start experiencing depression when their children are older. This trend was especially true for women whose babies were born prematurely. This study shows the importance of asking women about their mental health for much longer than six months after they give birth and helping them find supportive interventions.

 

Why was this study needed?

The postpartum period can be especially hard for mothers when babies are born prematurely, but researchers don’t know much about the effect that preterm births can have on a mother’s mental health. This study assessed postpartum depressive symptom trajectories for mothers of preterm and full-term babies, and followed participating mothers for five years after birth to better understand the long-term risks for depression and potential opportunities for treatment.

 

Who was involved?

The study involved 11,320 pregnant women aged 18 to 52 years old from 35 ECHO cohorts across the United States. About 11% of these women had babies that were born before they were due (preterm infants) and 89% had babies that were born on or near their due date (full-term infants).

 

What happened during the study?

Researchers analyzed self-reported depression measurements for women when they were pregnant and after they had their babies. These women also completed at least one follow-up assessment before their children were 5 years old.

 

What happens next?

It is important for future research to study what factors put some women at higher risk of experiencing depression after giving birth, particularly mothers of premature babies. Future research should also investigate what types of programs can help support mothers and their mental health during pregnancy and after birth.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article titled, “Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Mothers of Preterm and Full-Term Infants in a National Sample” in Archives of Women's Mental Health.

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published June 16, 2022

 

Access the associated article.

Download this summary

Depression in New Mothers Is Common, Especially When Babies Are Born Too Early

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ECHO Researchers Create a Common Measure of Adult Depression

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Courtney K. Blackwell, PhD
Courtney K. Blackwell, PhD

More than 264 million people experience depression worldwide. In the United States alone, more than 17 million adults experience depression each year. And women, especially those who are currently or recently pregnant, are at higher risk for a depressive episode. As such, regular depression screenings for women during and after pregnancy is a recommended practice, and doctors may want to continue screening women throughout their lives. Consistent measurement of depression throughout a woman’s lifetime can be difficult because the measurement tools used around pregnancy are scored differently from the common measures of adult depression. Linking these measurement tools together will help doctors track the changes in depression across a woman’s lifetime.

To address this research gap, Courtney K. Blackwell, PhD, and her ECHO colleagues conducted a study aimed at linking the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)—a measure of depression in women during or after pregnancy—with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Depression (PROMIS-D), a general measure of adult depression.

This study included approximately 1,200 mothers from two ECHO sites in the Northern Plains of the US who each completed the EPDS and PROMIS-D surveys. All data were collected using an online survey. Most of the participants were white, but the sample also included American Indian/Alaska Natives. On average, the participants were 35 years old, and about half had a 4-year college degree or higher.

While the EPDS includes more specific measures of postpartum depression symptoms, the study found that the EPDS and PROMIS-D gave depression scores that were highly correlated for women around pregnancy. Both surveys asked questions about increased depressed mood and decreased interest and engagement in daily activities. The researchers were able to convert EPDS scores to PROMIS-D scores for consistent tracking of depression in women throughout adulthood. The converted scores held for different ages, ethnicities, races, and study sites.

“To know about someone’s depression across time, it is important to have a way to use data from different measures that may have been used at different timepoints,” said Blackwell. “This study provides a way to convert scores from a measure used during and after pregnancy to a measure that is used at any time in adulthood.”

The conversion table may also be useful to ECHO researchers who want to standardize depression measurements from multiple cohort sites. Additional studies may examine how different depression measures can be converted using similar methods.

The conversion table is available on prosettastone.org.

 

Access the research summary.

ECHO Study Unifies Two Popular Surveys for Screening Adult Depression

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ECHO Study Unifies Two Popular Surveys for Screening Adult Depression

Authors: Courtney K. Blackwell, Xiaodan Tang, Amy J. Elliott, Tracy Thomes, Hannah Louwagie, Richard Gershon, Benjamin D. Schalet, David Cella 

 

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health, with co-funding from the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR).

 

What were the study results?

The EPDS and PROMIS-D both ask about increased sadness and decreased interest in daily activities. While the EPDS has additional content related to anxiety and suicidal ideation, the results of the two surveys were strongly linked. The researchers were able convert scores from the EPDS to PROMIS-D scores. The scoring conversion worked for different ages, ethnicities, races, and study sites.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

Adults are encouraged to get regular depression screenings. The EPDS survey is often used to detect depression in women during and after pregnancy. Doctors who want to continue long-term screening for women after pregnancy may want to convert EPDS scores into more general PROMIS-D scores for consistent tracking. Within ECHO, depression research spanning more than one cohort may need to convert between the EPDS and PROMIS-D surveys to combine data from multiple sites.

 

Why was this study needed?

Depression affects more than 17 million adults in the U.S. each year, and women are at higher risk for depression, particularly during and after pregnancy. Regular screening of adults for symptoms of depression is important for early intervention. Different surveys are used to track depression symptoms in adults, including ones specific to women during and after pregnancy. However, researchers need a uniform set of survey measures to track depression over a long time and to conduct nationwide research on depression. This study tried to unify two popular depression surveys: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), which is used during and after pregnancy; and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Depression (PROMIS-D), which is used at any time in adulthood.

 

Who was involved?

Around 1,200 mothers from two study sites in the Northern Plains of the United States completed the EPDS and PROMIS-D surveys. Most of the participants were around 35 years old and white, but this sample also included American Indian/Alaska Natives. About half of the participants had a 4-year college degree or higher.

 

What happened during the study?

The participants filled out the EPDS and PROMIS-D. Researchers collected data and demographics using an online survey.

 

What happens next?

The survey conversion table made through this study may be useful for doctors and researchers interested in tracking depression symptoms over time. New studies may seek to confirm the link between EPDS and PROMIS-D using bigger, more diverse groups. Studies may also look at linking other depression surveys with the PROMIS-D for easier, more unified tracking of depression.

 

Where can I learn more?

The conversion table is available at prosettastone.org.

Access the journal abstract, titled, “Developing a common metric for depression across adulthood: Linking PROMIS Depression with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale,” in Psychological Assessment.

 

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Published: May 31, 2021

 

Access the associated article.

Download this summary

ECHO Study Unifies Two Popular Surveys for Screening Adult Depression

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