Seasonal patterns in self-reported peripartum depressive symptoms

Area of Science:

• Perinatal mental health
• Epidemiology of mood disorders
• Seasonal affective disorder

Background:

• Limited research exists on seasonality in peripartum depression.
• Existing studies show conflicting findings regarding seasonal patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate findings on seasonal patterns of postpartum depressive symptoms.
• To investigate seasonal variations in depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Nested case-control study.
• Included 4129 women from the BASIC project.
• Data collected from Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden (2010-2015).

Main Results:

• Increased odds of postpartum depressive symptoms at 6 weeks were observed for births in October-December 2011 compared to April-June 2011 (aOR=2.42).
• This pattern was also noted in women with a history of depression.
• No other significant seasonal patterns were identified during pregnancy or postpartum.

Conclusions:

• No consistent seasonal patterns in peripartum depressive symptoms were generally identified.
• Further research is needed to explore potential links between specific yearly seasonal patterns and external factors like climate or events.