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Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
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The role of anesthesiologists in postpartum depression: current perspectives and future directions

Weijia Du1, Xiaozhe Qian2, Zhendong Xu3

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Frontiers in Psychiatry
|April 3, 2025
PubMed

Postpartum depression is a common complication of childbirth that can seriously affect women, infants, and families. In 2020, the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China mandated depression and anxiety screenings during pregnancy and postpartum visits to ensure timely medical intervention and referrals to appropriate behavioral health resources. Anesthesiologists are indispensable members in obstetric practice. Optimal peripartum pain control can reduce stress response; promote breastfeeding; and lower maternal anxiety and depression. Recently, the discovery of the rapid and sustained antidepressant properties of ketamine and emerging evidence supporting the effectiveness of anesthetic drugs in the treatment of depressive disorders have positioned anesthesiologists on a new frontier for treating neuropsychiatric disorders. This review aimed to explore the impact of labor epidural analgesia, obstetric anesthesia, and anesthetic drugs on postpartum depression while discussing the emerging role of anesthesiologists in its prevention and treatment based on recent evidence.

Keywords:
anesthetic drugscesarean sectionlabor analgesiaobstetric anesthesiapostpartum depression

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