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Women commonly believe that pregnancy is a time of emotional well-being, however, the reality is that about 10% to 15% of women experience clinically significant depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Furthermore, women with a history of major depression appear to be at highest risk for depression during pregnancy, particularly if they choose to discontinue treatment with an antidepressant while pregnant. A recent study from the University of Michigan reports that while depression affects many women during pregnancy, most women who suffer from depression during pregnancy never get the help they need.
In a group of 1837 pregnant women screened for depression, about 294 (16.0%) of the women were identified as being at risk of depression. Among this group of women, only 20% were receiving some type of depression treatment. What is also concerning is that even when depressed women were in treatment, most did not receive adequate treatment. For example, only 43% of those taking antidepressant medications received adequate treatment – antidepressant used at the recommended dose for at least six weeks.
These findings indicate that while depression is relatively common during pregnancy most women at risk for this illness do not receive any type of treatment. Of greater concern is the fact that even when depression is suspected most women do not receive adequate treatment. Low rates of treatment may reflect concerns regarding the use of antidepressants during pregnancy; however, women receiving psychotherapy alone did not receive treatment of adequate intensity. This study underscores not only the need for effective strategies for the detection of depression during pregnancy but also points to the need for greater efforts to ensure adequate treatment of women at high risk for depression.
