Postpartum Depression in Patients with Chronic Migraine: A Retrospective, Observational Analysis

Purpose: To evaluate how migraine impacts the risk for postpartum depression (PPD) in women of reproductive age as well as the effect of comorbidities on this risk. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study in a tertiary neurology center involving 6248 women with migraine and 4154 women without migraine between the ages of 18 and 45 seen from January 1, 2017, to January 30, 2024. The primary outcome was the odds ratio (OR) for PPD in migraine relative to women without migraine. Secondary outcomes included the OR for PPD in women with chronic migraine who also had comorbidities. Results: After adjusting for demographic factors and comorbid conditions, only chronic migraine, with and without aura, was associated with higher OR for PPD; chronic migraine without aura had the highest risk for PPD (OR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.29 to 3.53, p = 0.003). In patients with chronic migraine, preeclampsia was associated with the largest OR for PPD, followed by depression, gestational diabetes, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Anxiety, advanced maternal age, endometriosis, and post-traumatic stress disorder were not associated with a statistically significant increase in OR for PPD. Conclusions: Chronic migraine, with and without aura, is associated with a higher OR for PPD relative to non-migraine controls. Patients with chronic migraine, preeclampsia, depression, gestational diabetes, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder were also associated with increased risk of PPD. These data support screening patients with both chronic migraine and these comorbidities for PPD with validated screening tools to connect them with optimal resources best.