Maternal Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Perinatal Depression: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Mental Health
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a persistent condition often comorbid with other mental health issues.
• Limited research exists on ADHD in the perinatal period, despite increasing diagnoses in women of reproductive age.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically appraise existing literature on the association between maternal ADHD and perinatal depression.
• To examine the prevalence and risk factors of perinatal depression in women with ADHD.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review was conducted using EMBASE, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar.
• Literature was evaluated using PRISMA guidelines and quality assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute framework.
• A narrative synthesis of ten included studies was performed.

Main Results:

• A prevalence of 16.76% to 57.6% for perinatal depression was found in women with ADHD.
• Women with ADHD showed an increased risk of perinatal depression (OR 1.8-2.63).
• A positive association was observed between ADHD symptoms and depressive symptoms in the perinatal period.

Conclusions:

• Women with ADHD exhibit greater vulnerability to perinatal depression.
• A clear association exists between ADHD symptoms and depressive symptoms during the perinatal period.
• Further high-quality research is needed to validate these findings.