Autoimmune Conditions Increase Risk of Perinatal Depression

Research indicates that women with autoimmune diseases are more susceptible to experiencing depression during and after pregnancy. The study, conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, highlights a mutual relationship between perinatal depression and autoimmune conditions, with a quantified risk of 30 percent. The findings suggest that women who have autoimmune diseases may be at an elevated risk of depression during pregnancy and postpartum (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Perinatal depression and its health impact

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Women with Perinatal Depression are at Risk of Autoimmune Diseases

Conversely, women with a history of perinatal depression may face a higher likelihood of developing autoimmune diseases, where the immune system erroneously attacks healthy tissues. Common autoimmune diseases include gluten intolerance, rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis, with the latter showing the strongest association in the study. Notably, the correlation was most significant among women without previous psychiatric diagnosis. The research, based on observational data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register covering births between 2001 and 2013, included over eight hundred thousand women and thirteen hundred thousand pregnancies. Among them, more than 55,000 women were diagnosed with depression during pregnancy or within a year after childbirth.

Immunological Mechanism Behind Perinatal Depression

While the study establishes a bidirectional association between perinatal depression and autoimmune diseases, causation cannot be conclusively determined due to the observational nature of the research. The results, published in the "Molecular Psychiatry" journal, emphasize an immunological mechanism contributing to perinatal depression and highlight autoimmune diseases as a potential risk factor.

Emma Bränn, the study's first author and a researcher at Karolinska Institutet's Institute of Environmental Medicine, underscores the importance of recognizing autoimmune diseases as risk factors for perinatal depression.

Despite the significant findings, the researchers emphasize the need for further investigation into the long-term consequences of depression during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth. They hope that the study's insights will inform decision-makers and lead to increased funding for maternal healthcare, ensuring timely assistance and support for more women in need.

Reference:

1. Perinatal depression and its health impact - (https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p2777)

Source-Medindia