Depressive Symptoms among Pregnant and Postpartum Women in Prison

Women in prison experience high rates of mental and physical health problems, and pregnant and postpartum women in prison may be particularly vulnerable. Very few studies have examined depressive symptoms among women who are pregnant and give birth in prison. We assessed depressive symptoms longitudinally from pregnancy into the postpartum period in a sample of 58 women who gave birth in prison. We also considered whether incarceration-related factors (length of time incarcerated while pregnant, remaining length of sentence to serve after birth) were associated with depressive symptoms.

Data were collected as part of an ongoing evaluation of a prison-based pregnancy and parenting support program at one women's state prison. At prenatal and postpartum visits with their doula, women completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a measure of depressive symptom severity.

More than one-third of our sample of women who were incarcerated and gave birth in custody met criteria for moderate to severe depression on the PHQ-9 during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Women who faced longer periods of incarceration following birth and separation from their newborns reported higher levels of postpartum depressive symptoms.

Findings have implications for practice and policy aimed at supporting the mental health needs of women who are pregnant in prison, particularly those women who give birth in custody and are separated from their newborns.