Staying Up to Date With Evolving Postpartum Depression Pathophysiology and Treatment Research

Perinatal depression (PND) is one of the most common medical conditions associated with pregnancy, with 1 in 7 women impacted by PND symptoms and 1 in 13 meeting criteria for major depressive disorder. Unfortunately, half of postpartum depression (PPD) cases begin during pregnancy but are not diagnosed until postpartum. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of PND lead to poor outcomes for both mother and child. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently updated its recommendation that screening for perinatal depression and anxiety occur at the initial prenatal visit, later in pregnancy, and at postpartum. Several hypotheses have been developed to explain the pathophysiology of PND including endocrine, epigenetic, synaptic transmission, neural network, neurosteroid, stress, and inflammatory mechanisms. Researchers believe that the answer lies in a synthesized mechanism of all of these models. Novel and emerging therapeutics are focusing on the neurosteroid mechanism within the integrated hypothesis. Neuroactive steroids are changing the understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and PPD, and novel and emerging therapeutics with new mechanisms of action based on these findings are impacting the treatment paradigm for this widespread and burdensome disorder.