Mothers are more likely to experience post-natal depression four years later due to relationship problems, a study claims
Depression is more common in first-time mothers when her child reaches the age of four than during the year after giving birth, say researchers.
Research carried out in Australia found almost one in three first-time mothers reported depressive symptoms at least once between pregnancy and four years after giving birth.
But contrary to long-held wisdom, the first year after giving birth is not the lowest point for many mums.
A new study shows depressive symptoms were more common four years after a first birth than at any time during the first 12 months of a baby’s life, especially for women who had only one child.
They had double the risk, as 23 per cent of mothers with an only child felt depressed four years later compared with 11 per cent of mothers with two or more children.
The study, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (must credit), blames relationship problems, social adversity and domestic abuse for triggering depression in some women, who are ‘falling through the gaps’.
Experts say current mental health guidelines in the UK and Australia focus on pregnancy and the early months after childbirth, but this misses more than half the women suffering depression during the first years of motherhood.
The latest study used data from 1,507 first time mothers registered to give birth at six hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, who completed questionnaires at three, six, 12, 18 months and four years after giving birth.
The prevalence of depression at four years after childbirth was 14.5 per cent - higher than at any point recorded during the first year of motherhood.
Women with only one child at four years after birth showed significantly higher levels of depression than women with two or more children.
The strongest predictors of depressive symptoms at four years post birth were having previously reported depressive symptoms either in early pregnancy or in the first 12 months after childbirth.
But at four years after giving birth, 40 per cent of women reporting symptoms had not previously been depressed.
Other factors were being young - 18 to 24 years old - stressful life events in the year before the four year follow-up, violence from a partner or a low income.
Myth: The study dispelled the long-held wisdom that the first year of motherhood is the hardest
The findings offer a ‘compelling’ case for a rethink on maternal mental health by extending the period for monitoring, said study co-author Dr Hannah Woolhouse, from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, in Victoria, Australia.
She said ‘It is likely that current systems of maternal mental health surveillance in Australia and the UK will miss more than half the women experiencing depression in the early years of parenting.
‘In particular, women who do not have subsequent children may be especially vulnerable to falling through the gaps as they will not be reconnected back into primary care services.’
John Thorp, BJOG editor in chief, said ‘Much research has been conducted around maternal mental health during the perinatal period, however, we know very little about the prevalence of maternal depression after the first 12 months of giving birth.
'Women who do not have subsequent children may be especially vulnerable to falling through the gaps'
- Study co-author Dr Hannah Woolhouse
‘The findings of this study reinforce the need for an increased focus on maternal health, particularly in the long term, as current guidance for professionals focuses on pregnancy and the early months after birth, and the need to take into account factors linked to the mother’s life.’
In the UK, a survey by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) earlier this year found three out of five new mothers said they felt down or depressed after giving birth.
Janet Fyle, at the RCM, said ‘Improvements need to be made in the detection of mental health problems in pregnancy and in the treatment and care afterwards.
‘We are pleased about the Health Education England mandate to improve midwifery training around perinatal mental health. We also recognise that the Government has promised to improve postnatal services for women with mental health problems.
‘However, we now need to see their words become deeds and their promises become significant action by way of better mental health care for women.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2634411/Baby-blues-likely-four-years-birth-First-year-motherhood-not-lowest-point-research-reveals.html#ixzz32JaS26kL
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