Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 31, 2026
Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Suicides during pregnancy and 1 year postpartum in Sweden, 1980-2007
Annika Esscher1, Birgitta Essén2, Eva Innala2
1Annika Esscher, MD, PhD, Birgitta Essén, MD, PhD, Department of Women's and Children's Health, International Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala; Eva Innala, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Umeå University, Umeå; Fotios C. Papadopoulos, MD, PhD, Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala; Alkistis Skalkidou, MD, PhD, Inger Sundström-Poromaa, MD, PhD, Ulf Högberg, PhD, MD, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden annika.esscher@kbh.uu.se.
Background:
Although the incidence of suicide among women who have given birth during the past 12 months is lower than that of women who have not given birth, suicide remains one of the most common causes of death during the year following delivery in high-income countries, such as Sweden.
Aims:
To characterise women who died by suicide during pregnancy and postpartum from a maternal care perspective.
Method:
We traced deaths (n = 103) through linkage of the Swedish Cause of Death Register with the Medical Birth and National Patient Registers. We analysed register data and obstetric medical records.
Results:
The maternal suicide ratio was 3.7 per 100 000 live births for the period 1980-2007, with small magnitude variation over time. The suicide ratio was higher in women born in low-income countries (odds ratio 3.1 (95% CI 1.3-7.7)). Violent suicide methods were common, especially during the first 6 months postpartum. In all, 77 women had received psychiatric care at some point, but 26 women had no documented psychiatric care. Antenatal documentation of psychiatric history was inconsistent. At postpartum discharge, only 20 women had a plan for psychiatric follow-up.
Conclusions:
Suicide prevention calls for increased clinical awareness and cross-disciplinary maternal care approaches to identify and support women at risk.
