Perinatal mental illness and autoimmune diseases: a qualitative sistematic review
Sara Tabacco1, Manuela Ludovisi2, Angela D'Alfonso2
1Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, San Salvatore Hospital, L'Aquila, Italy - saratabacco87@gmail.com.
Insights
Women with perinatal mental illness face increased risks of developing autoimmune diseases (AIDs). Early identification and counseling are crucial for managing these risks and informing patient care.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal mental health
- Autoimmune disease research
- Psychiatric epidemiology
Background:
- Perinatal mental illness encompasses psychiatric disorders during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum.
- While causes are unknown, a significant risk association with autoimmune diseases (AIDs) has been observed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between perinatal mental illness and the subsequent development of autoimmune diseases.
- To inform clinical practice and diagnostic opportunities.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed from February 2000 to December 2021.
- Search terms included "autoimmune disease" combined with various perinatal mental illness terms.
Main Results:
- Patients diagnosed with perinatal mental illness exhibit a higher risk of developing subsequent AIDs.
- This correlation suggests a need for informed counseling for affected women regarding future AID risks.
Conclusions:
- A correlation exists between perinatal mental illness and AIDs, potentially offering new diagnostic avenues.
- Further research is required to solidify the observed association and its clinical implications.
Introduction:
The term "perinatal mental illness" refers to the set of psychiatric disorders that occur during pregnancy and up to one year after childbirth. The disorders that occurred before pregnancy along with the disorders that emerge during pregnancy or in the postpartum period are all considered perinatal mental illnesses. The causes of prenatal mental illness are still unknown. However, recent studies have shown a major risk in patients with autoimmune diseases (AIDs).
Evidence Acquisition:
We performed a comprehensive search of relevant studies from February 2000 to December 2021 to ensure all possible studies were captured. A systematic search of PubMed databases was conducted. We selected "autoimmune disease" as the search term, combining with "perinatal mental illness," "perinatal depression" or "postpartum anxiety" or "postpartum psychosis" or "bipolar disorder" or "postpartum blues."
Evidence Synthesis:
The results of our review show that patients with perinatal mental illness have higher risks of subsequent AIDs. In fact, when a woman develops perinatal mental illness, accurate counseling can be employed: on the one hand, the woman should be send to the psychiatrist, on the other hand she has to be informed about the increased risk of a future developement of AID.
Conclusions:
As described in the literature, correlation between perinatal mental illness and AID could bring new diagnostic opportunities, relevant for practical decisions. Further studies need to confirm the correlation between perinatal mental illness and AID.
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