The Relationship Between Gestational Diabetes and Postpartum Depression: A Systematic Review

This study aims to examine the relationship between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the likelihood of postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and the Wiley Online Library were systematically searched for relevant literature. Our results included eight studies with a total of 4,209 women diagnosed with GDM and/or PPD. The prevalence of PPD in women diagnosed with GDM ranged from 6.5% to 48.4%. The included studies demonstrated that PPD was more likely to strike women with GDM. One study reported that the most severe type of GDM is more likely to occur in those with a history of depression. Perinatal depression during pregnancy can be strongly predicted by age, BMI, and a personal history of depression. The findings imply that GDM and the likelihood of depression during the postpartum phase are related. It was also found that there was a positive correlation between depression and the chance of having GDM. This emphasizes how the association between GDM and depression appears to be reciprocal. However, the association does not imply causation, and the data at hand do not allow for the establishment of causality. Subsequent studies ought to endeavor to show causative connections between GDM and depression as well as pinpoint shared underlying endocrine variables that may play a role in the genesis of both conditions. The available information that is now available is limited due to the complexity of the etiology of both GD and depression in pregnant women; nonetheless, prevention of both conditions depends on a better understanding of the link between GD and depression. The risk of bias in the included studies was moderate to high.