Archives Of Women's Mental Health[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
From promise to proof: making multimodal LLMs in reproductive psychiatry audit-ready, privacy-verifiable, and globally deployable.
Vijayasimha M, Srikanth M, Singh M
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Apr · PMID 41979737 · Publisher ↗
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Maternal prenatal stress and infant temperament at one year: exploring the mediating role of postpartum depression in the French EDEN cohort.
Muriago G, Barbosa S, Descarpentry A … +4 more , Benarous X, Tafflet M, Heude B, van der Waerden J
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Apr · PMID 41979692 · Publisher ↗
PURPOSE: Prenatal stress affects up to 74% of expectant mothers and has been implicated in shaping early child development. This study aims to examine the associations between both subjective (self-reported) and objectiv...
PURPOSE: Prenatal stress affects up to 74% of expectant mothers and has been implicated in shaping early child development. This study aims to examine the associations between both subjective (self-reported) and objective prenatal stress and infant temperament at 12 months of age. Additionally, we investigate whether maternal postpartum depression (PPD) mediates these associations. METHODS: We analyzed data from 1,510 mother-infant dyads in the French EDEN birth cohort. Prenatal stress was assessed using the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and a measure of negative life events (NLEs). Infant temperament at 12 months was measured using the Emotionality Activity Sociability (EAS) questionnaire. Adjusted logistic regression models and mediation analyses were used to assess direct and indirect effects. RESULTS: Prenatal anxiety was associated with greater infant sociability, while prenatal depression predicted increased emotionality and shyness. Objective stress was related to lower infant activity. Mediation analyses revealed that PPD partially mediated the effects of prenatal depression and anxiety on infant emotionality and shyness, accounting for approximately 32% of the association between prenatal depression and infant emotional temperament. No mediation effect was found for the activity domain, although a small inverse direct association was observed. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that maternal prenatal stress influences infant temperament in a trait-specific manner and that PPD plays a mediating role in certain domains. These results highlight the importance of addressing both prenatal and postnatal maternal stress when considering early emotional and behavioral development in children. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: not applicable.
Reconsidering the dangerous normalization of postpartum sleep loss.
Davis AM, Solomon NL
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Apr · PMID 41979670 · Full text
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Network structure of depression and anxiety in Bangladeshi women.
Al-Mamun F, Mamun MA, Almerab MM … +3 more , Islam J, Gozal D, Muhit M
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Apr · PMID 41954791 · Publisher ↗
PURPOSE: Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent and frequently co-occurring mental health conditions, yet their symptom-level interrelationships remain poorly understood in low-and middle-income countries. Conceptua...
PURPOSE: Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent and frequently co-occurring mental health conditions, yet their symptom-level interrelationships remain poorly understood in low-and middle-income countries. Conceptualizing mental disorders as networks of interacting symptoms, this study aimed to examine the network structure of depression and anxiety symptoms among Bangladeshi women. METHODS: This study used cross-sectional data from the 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, comprising 19,930 women aged 15–49 years. Sixteen symptoms from the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were analyzed. A Gaussian graphical model was estimated using the Extended Bayesian Information Criterion graphical lasso (EBICglasso). Centrality and bridge centrality indices were computed to identify highly connected symptoms and cross-domain connectivity, respectively. Network stability and edge weight accuracy were evaluated using bootstrapping procedures. RESULTS: The network demonstrated dense within-domain connectivity for both anxiety and depression symptoms, alongside multiple cross-domain conditional associations. Trouble relaxing and nervousness were among the most central anxiety symptoms, while sad mood, psychomotor symptoms, and suicidal ideation were highly central within the depression subnetwork. Bridge centrality identified feeling afraid, irritability, and nervousness as prominent anxiety-related bridge symptoms, and sad mood, anhedonia, psychomotor symptoms, and suicidal ideation as key depressive symptoms linking the two domains. The network showed excellent stability (CS-coefficient = 0.75). CONCLUSION: This study provides the first nationally representative network analysis of anxiety and depression symptoms among Bangladeshi women. The findings highlight distinct roles of symptoms in overall connectivity and cross-domain linkage, offering a descriptive framework for understanding comorbidity patterns in resource-limited settings.
Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of maternity blues among postpartum mothers: a multi-facility prospective cohort in rural Southwestern Uganda.
Atuhaire C, Kabanda T, Atwine D … +2 more , Maling S, Patel V
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Apr · PMID 41944893 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Maternity blues (MBs) are mild and self-limiting depressive symptoms that occur within the first weeks postpartum. However, failure to identify and manage affected mothers can lead to maternal emotional and c...
BACKGROUND: Maternity blues (MBs) are mild and self-limiting depressive symptoms that occur within the first weeks postpartum. However, failure to identify and manage affected mothers can lead to maternal emotional and cognitive impairment, disrupt infant care, and increase the risk of postpartum depression (PPD), infanticide, or suicide. The average prevalence of maternity blues in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is 39%, with 10–15% of affected mothers progressing to PPD. Therefore, providing timely support and management to mothers experiencing maternity blues is crucial to prevent this progression. We determined the prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of maternity blues among postpartum mothers in rural south western Uganda. METHODS: The findings in this manuscript were part of a prospective cohort that aimed at investigating Perceived Maternal Social Support and Perinatal Depression among women from latent labor to six weeks postpartum. We conducted a multi-facility study to assess maternity blues among 523 mothers at six hours and six days postpartum from November 2023 to March 2024. The study was carried out in three health facilities in Mbarara District, rural southwestern Uganda. The prevalence of maternity blues was based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and PPD was based on the Mini International Psychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I 7.0.2) using the depression module. Factors associated with maternity blues were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Variables with a p-value < 0.2 in bivariate analysis were included in the multivariate model, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Data were entered into EPI Info software version 7.2 and analyzed using STATA software version 14.0. RESULTS: Of the 523 enrolled participants, 33 had maternity blues at six hours and or six days postpartum giving a prevalence of 6.3% (95% CI: 4.5–8.8). No significant disparities were noted in the prevalence of maternity blues across maternal age groups. In multivariate analysis, the following factors showed an independent statistically significant association with maternity blues at either six hours and six days postpartum: baby not breastfeeding well (AOR = 5.2; 95% CI: 1.7–16.4, p = 0.01) and mother having had any Stressful life event during labor (AOR = 15.2; 95% CI: 4.9–47.1, p < 0.01). Overall, the odds of developing PPD was 5.3 times higher among mothers with maternity blues as compared to those without, p < 0.01. CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights into the prevalence of maternity blues in rural southwestern Uganda, highlighting a reduction in the prevalence of antepartum depression within the same cohort of mothers. However, there remains a need for additional preliminary data on maternity blues, as well as improved screening and intervention strategies, to enhance maternal mental health outcomes.
Risk factors of post-partum depression among Malaysian women from 2011 to 2023: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Alsabi R, Mohd Jamil AA, Dasrilsyah RA … +2 more , Alimuddin AS, Durai RR
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41910816 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant psychiatric condition and is one of the largest contributors to pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. This study aims to perform a systematic review and meta-...
BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant psychiatric condition and is one of the largest contributors to pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. This study aims to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate and quantify the effect of expected risk factors for PPD that are unique to Malaysian women. METHODOLOGY: Primary sources (Ovid Medline, Wiley Online Library, Cochrane, and Scopus databases) and secondary sources (ProQuest library and grey literature) were scanned. Peer-reviewed studies were included in this review using Mendeley® Reference Manager. Using PRISMA 2020 guidelines, online databases were searched for studies that reported risk factors for PPD in Malaysia from 2011 to 2023. Data extraction forms with summary tables were made with EPPI®-Reviewer 4 software. For meta-analysis, Review Manager 5.4.1 was used to estimate pooled PPD risk factors with a 95% confidence interval (CI), forest plot, and a random-effect model. Cochran's (Q) test was employed to check for heterogeneity, while a funnel plot was utilised to investigate publication bias. RESULTS: The total included studies for this review were nine, with a combined sample size of 10,326 postnatal mothers. The identified risk factors were grouped into three clusters: biological, psychological, and social factors. A total of 42 risk factors for PPD were identified, with a history of depression and exposure to non-exclusive breastfeeding being the most significant predictors associated with increased risks of PPD in Malaysia. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis determined that biological determinants exerted the most influence on PPD among Malaysian women. This underscores the need of structured assessment in routine maternal care in the Malaysian context. Many studies in Malaysia used Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale postnatally, with less emphasis on antenatal period or follow-up studies, which highlights the need for a cultural-sensitive screening methods at routine maternal healthcare services in Malaysia. Patient or public contribution. No patient participated in any part of this systematic review, contributed to the discussion on refining the results, or critically reviewed the manuscript. Only academics were co-authors of this manuscript.
Interpretable prediction of anxiety symptoms during pregnancy via machine learning and SHAP.
Xu Y, Nie Q, Lin Y … +8 more , Xiao Y, Liu F, Ouyang X, Liu S, Yang H, Li C, Xiao C, Wang Z
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41910783 · Publisher ↗
PURPOSE: Perinatal anxiety severely impacts maternal and infant health, yet efficient screening remains a challenge. This study aims to create a clinically interpretable screening framework by employing a machine learnin...
PURPOSE: Perinatal anxiety severely impacts maternal and infant health, yet efficient screening remains a challenge. This study aims to create a clinically interpretable screening framework by employing a machine learning (ML) model explained via Shapley additive explanations (SHAP). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2022 and August 2023 at a tertiary teaching hospital in Guangzhou, China. We assessed pregnant women for prenatal anxiety symptoms via the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). Four ML models—random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and k-nearest neighbor (KNN)—were trained and evaluated via 10-fold cross-validation with a 7:3 train‒test split. Model performance was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and SHAP values were used to interpret feature contributions. RESULTS: We screened 3141 participants via the GAD-7 and identified 318 with prenatal anxiety symptoms, yielding an incidence of 10.1%. The variables most strongly associated with anxiety were selected from 30 candidate variables by using the Boruta algorithm. XGBoost achieved the highest discriminative performance (AUC = 0.712), slightly outperforming RF (AUC = 0.711) and SVM (AUC = 0.633). The KNN model showed near-random performance (AUC = 0.509). SHAP analysis identified sleep quality, premenstrual tension, age, personality, spousal and mother‑daughter‑in‑law relationship quality, occupation, education, dietary habits, and stressful life events as key factors associated with antenatal anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The XGBoost model demonstrated acceptable accuracy for identifying antenatal anxiety symptoms. SHAP-based interpretability helps highlight high-impact psychosocial and lifestyle factors, offering a potential tool for early identification and prevention strategies in obstetric care.
Validation of the Spanish-language version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale Research Short Form: PSAS-ES-RSF.
Costas-Ramón N, Vinagre-González AM, Silverio SA … +3 more , Fallon V, Christiansen P, Aparicio-García ME
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41910617 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Postpartum anxiety is a prevalent emotional disorder affecting approximately 20% of women, often more common than postpartum depression. Despite its high prevalence, the Spanish healthcare system lacks screen...
BACKGROUND: Postpartum anxiety is a prevalent emotional disorder affecting approximately 20% of women, often more common than postpartum depression. Despite its high prevalence, the Spanish healthcare system lacks screening programs specifically targeting this condition. METHODS: This study aimed to develop and validate a short version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS-ES-RSF) to address time constraints in clinical practice and improve its usability as a screening tool. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on two independent Spanish samples (Sample 1: N = 699; Sample 2: N = 293), a 16-item version was extracted from the original 51-item PSAS-ES. RESULTS: The four-factor structure of the PSAS-ES-RSF—addressing maternal competence, infant safety, practical infant care, and psychosocial adjustment—demonstrated strong psychometric properties (CFI > .95, RMSEA < .08). Cultural context and risk factors, such as maternal self-efficacy and the return to work, influenced the selection of items, showing some variation from the English-language short form. CONCLUSIONS: The PSAS-ES-RSF offers a reliable and efficient tool for exploring postpartum anxiety in Spanish-speaking populations. Further research is needed to explore its applicability in diverse cultural contexts and to continue refining postpartum anxiety screening strategies.
Perinatal obsessive-compulsive symptoms and maternal-infant bonding: A longitudinal examination of depression and relationship quality.
Njoh J, Abramowitz JS, Musci R … +6 more , Kimmel MC, Osborne LM, Samuels J, Nestadt P, Nestadt G, Storch EA
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41896388 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Perinatal obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms are common and distressing, yet their impact on early parenting outcomes such as maternal-infant bonding remains poorly understood. Although prior research links m...
BACKGROUND: Perinatal obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms are common and distressing, yet their impact on early parenting outcomes such as maternal-infant bonding remains poorly understood. Although prior research links maternal depression and anxiety to bonding difficulties, less is known about how perinatal OC symptoms relate to maternal-infant bonding over time, or the extent to which maternal-partner relationship quality is associated with these outcomes, and whether depressive symptoms explain observed associations. METHODS: Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of 256 pregnant women recruited from two U.S. sites between 2020 and 2023. Participants completed self-report and clinician-administered assessments at 20 weeks (PGWK20), 34 weeks gestation (PGWK34), and at 6 weeks (PP6WK) and 6 months postpartum (PP6MO). OC symptoms were measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Perinatal Thoughts and Behaviors Checklist (PTBC), depressive symptoms with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), maternal-partner relationship quality with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and maternal-infant bonding with the Postnatal Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ). RESULTS: Prenatal OC symptom severity (PGWK34) and OC symptom severity assessed at PP6WK did not directly predict maternal-infant bonding difficulties at PP6WK or PP6MO. Depressive symptoms at PP6WK significantly mediated the association between prenatal OC symptoms and bonding difficulties at PP6MO. Higher maternal-partner relationship quality during pregnancy (PGWK34) predicted fewer bonding difficulties at PP6MO but was not associated with the strength of associations between OC symptoms and bonding outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal OC symptoms may indirectly influence maternal-infant bonding through co-occurring depressive symptoms, highlighting the importance of mood-focused assessment and personalized intervention during pregnancy. Maternal-partner relationship quality emerged as a general protective factor associated with fewer bonding difficulties but did not moderate associations between OC symptoms and bonding outcomes. Integrated screening and intervention approaches targeting both mood and OC features may enhance maternal well-being and early relational outcomes.
Maternal internalizing symptoms as a mechanism linking pre- and postnatal COVID-19 pandemic exposure with preschool-aged children's neurodevelopment.
Finegold KE, Knight JA, Hung RJ … +8 more , Dennis CL, Shah PS, Wong J, Bertoni K, Levitan RD, Jenkins JM, Matthews SG, Wade M
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41886107 · Full text
PURPOSE: There is some evidence that children exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic experienced more neurodevelopmental difficulties than children before the pandemic, as well as evidence that women with young children experi...
PURPOSE: There is some evidence that children exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic experienced more neurodevelopmental difficulties than children before the pandemic, as well as evidence that women with young children experienced more mental health challenges during this period compared to pre-pandemic. However, it is unclear whether increased maternal mental health challenges acted as a mechanism linking pandemic exposure to children’s neurodevelopment difficulties. METHODS: As part of the Ontario Birth Study, women (N = 862) reported their internalizing (i.e., depression and anxiety) symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) at three timepoints (prenatally and 8 and 24 months postnatally). Child neurodevelopment was assessed at 24 months using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3). Analyses included a combination of regression and path analyses with adjustment for covariates. RESULTS: Women exposed to the pandemic prenatally and at 8 and 24 months postnatally reported more concurrent internalizing difficulties than those not exposed; however, women exposed both pre- and postnatally did not differ from those only exposed postnatally. Higher prenatal maternal internalizing symptoms were associated with lower child gross motor skills at 24 months. Higher maternal internalizing symptoms at 8 and 24 months were marginally (p < 0.1) associated with lower child personal-social and gross motor skills, respectively, at 24 months. The association between prenatal pandemic exposure and lower gross motor skills was marginally mediated by the presence of prenatal maternal internalizing symptoms. CONCLUSION: Mothers and young children may have been particularly vulnerable to pandemic stress. Maternal internalizing symptoms, especially during pregnancy, may serve as a pathway linking pandemic exposure with child neurodevelopment and may represent a malleable target for intervention.
Maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms, neuroticism, and posttraumatic growth as predictors of children's posttraumatic stress symptoms following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.
Akdağ B, Yazıcı Kopuz H, Gıran K
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41870712 · Publisher ↗
PURPOSE: Parental mental health plays a critical role in the psychosocial adjustment of children following a major earthquake. Specifically, maternal PTSD symptoms have been identified as significant risk factors for the...
PURPOSE: Parental mental health plays a critical role in the psychosocial adjustment of children following a major earthquake. Specifically, maternal PTSD symptoms have been identified as significant risk factors for the development of PTSD symptoms in their children. However, the predictive roles of maternal PTSD symptoms, posttraumatic growth, and neuroticism on adolescent PTSD symptoms have been underexplored. METHODS: This study included adolescents aged 12 to 17 years and their mothers, all of whom were admitted to a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic in Türkiye. Data collection was conducted from June to August 2024, approximately 16 to 18 months after the earthquake, through face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: Maternal PTSD scores demonstrated significant positive correlations with adolescents’ PTSD scores. Maternal PTSD scores were positively associated with adolescents’ PTSD scores at lower levels of maternal posttraumatic growth, whereas this relationship was not statistically significant at higher levels of maternal posttraumatic growth. Moreover, maternal posttraumatic growth was negatively associated with adolescents’ PTSD scores at lower levels of maternal neuroticism, but this association was not significant at higher levels of neuroticism. CONCLUSION: The present findings underscore the potential link between maternal and adolescent PTSD symptoms, highlighting the critical need to monitor and address the well-being of both mother–adolescent dyads during the post-earthquake period. Furthermore, fostering posttraumatic growth in parents and recognizing highly neurotic parents as a potential risk group and providing targeted interventions to improve their emotion regulation and coping skills may reduce mental health risks for their children.
Implementing mental health interventions in perinatal home visiting programs: a systematic review of the literature.
Ledford A, Adynski H, Beeber L … +4 more , Powell BJ, Brooks JL, Matthews A, Leeman J
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41863646 · Publisher ↗
PURPOSE: Perinatal home visiting programs are well positioned to deliver mental health interventions to those at high risk for adverse mental health outcomes. The purpose of this review was to examine home-based mental h...
PURPOSE: Perinatal home visiting programs are well positioned to deliver mental health interventions to those at high risk for adverse mental health outcomes. The purpose of this review was to examine home-based mental health interventions, their effectiveness, and how they have been implemented in perinatal home visiting programs. METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Social Work Abstracts for reports of experimental or quasi-experimental studies evaluating outcomes of a mental health intervention delivered in the home setting as part of a perinatal home visiting program in the United States. Data extracted included the study demographics, design, characteristics of the interventions, evidence of intervention effectiveness, implementation strategies, and implementation outcomes and determinants. RESULTS: Data abstractors screened 3,500 articles published from January 2010 to January 2024. Of these, 25 articles reporting findings of 12 distinct mental health interventions met the criteria for inclusion. Interventions were based on a variety of therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, collaborative problem solving, and motivational interviewing. Interventionists ranged from paraprofessionals such as community health workers to professionals such as registered nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed clinical social workers, in addition to others. Recipients of the interventions were predominantly white women; high risk groups including American Indian/Alaskan Native and Asian/Pacific Islander populations were underrepresented in studies. Studies demonstrated evidence of effectiveness in reducing symptoms of depression. Few studies systematically evaluated implementation outcomes or strategies, or followed standard recommendations for reporting implementation outcomes, limiting synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health interventions delivered through perinatal home visiting programs show effectiveness at reducing depressive symptoms, and in a subset of studies, anxiety symptoms, though evidence for reduction in anxiety is more limited. Variations in how implementation measures were reported limited synthesis demonstrating that further research is needed in implementation.
Depression and antidepressant treatment in growing up in New Zealand: impact on preterm birth and low birth weight.
D'Souza S, Anns F, Waldie KE … +2 more , Mulder RT, Rucklidge JJ
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41863571 · Full text
PURPOSE: To investigate the independent effects of antenatal depression and antidepressant use on birth weight and gestational age in a large, ethnically diverse New Zealand cohort. METHODS: Data were obtained from 6,759...
PURPOSE: To investigate the independent effects of antenatal depression and antidepressant use on birth weight and gestational age in a large, ethnically diverse New Zealand cohort. METHODS: Data were obtained from 6,759 pregnancies in the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study, of which 5,200 (76.9%) involved neither antidepressant exposure nor unmedicated depression, 197 (2.9%) involved antidepressant exposure, and 715 (10.6%) involved unmedicated depression. Antenatal depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and prenatal antidepressant use was self-reported. Birth outcomes were obtained through linked perinatal health records. Multiple regression analyses examined continuous and categorical outcome definitions, adjusting for sociodemographic and antenatal health variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of antidepressant use and unmedicated antenatal depression (EDPS ≥ 13) was 2.9% and 10.6%, respectively. Antidepressant use predicted a 0.40-week reduction in gestational age (95% CI: -0.55 to -0.26), and each one-point increase in EPDS score predicted a 0.02-week reduction (95% CI: -0.03 to -0.01). Higher EPDS scores were also associated with increased odds of preterm birth (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.07) and low birth weight (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.06). CONCLUSIONS: Antidepressant use and antenatal depression were each associated with slightly earlier births, but only depressive symptoms were associated with increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight. Effect sizes were small. Antidepressants remain an important, and often most accessible treatment option, for maternal depression. Greater investment in screening and culturally responsive, non-pharmacological options is also needed to support diverse preferences and wellbeing.
Traumatic birth experiences and maternal caregiving behaviors and attitudes in black and white women.
Kornfield SL, Henry NM, Waller R … +6 more , White L, Gur R, Myers D, Wisniewski K, Momplaisir F, Njoroge WFM
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41851534 · Full text
PURPOSE: This longitudinal investigation examined the association between traumatic birth experiences (measured via self-report and clinician-report) and caregiving behaviors and attitudes and any race-related difference...
PURPOSE: This longitudinal investigation examined the association between traumatic birth experiences (measured via self-report and clinician-report) and caregiving behaviors and attitudes and any race-related differences in these associations. METHODS: Subjective childbirth trauma was measured via a three-item questionnaire at 12 weeks postpartum. Medical childbirth factors were extracted from the electronic health record. Maternal caregiving behaviors and attitudes were assessed via comprehensive questionnaires (i.e., mother-infant bonding and parenting stress) and observation ratings (i.e., positive parenting and mother-infant interactions) at 12 weeks, 12 months, and 24 months postpartum. Multiple linear regressions were run to analyze these relationships. RESULTS: A total of 255 mothers (106 Black and 149 White) who gave birth from April to December 2020 were examined. More traumatic childbirth experiences were significantly associated with higher-rated observed positive parenting scores (β = 0.21, pFDR<0.05) when controlling for demographic factors. There were no significant relationships at 12 weeks or 24 months postpartum. Additionally, there were no effects of race on the relationship between childbirth trauma and caregiving. CONCLUSIONS: Subjective reports of childbirth trauma were not significantly associated with poorer maternal caregiving behaviors and attitudes. This study adds to the literature by examining Black women, as they are underrepresented in this body of research and more at risk of experiencing traumatic childbirths.
Correction to: Is anybody out there? Tackling intimate partner violence as a hidden pandemic during COVID times and beyond: factors, impact, and recommendations, a systematic review and meta-analyses.
Heidler P, Dam L, King I … +9 more , Hamza N, Abdeljawad MM, Alaraby D, Fahlevi M, Anjum T, Marzo RR, Wagner M, Bhattacharya S, Chahal P
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41811535 · Publisher ↗
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Continuation and discontinuation of antidepressant treatment before, during and after pregnancy: a cohort study.
Marson EJ, Petersen I, Saxena S … +2 more , Schartau P, Smith HC
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41803479 · Full text
OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between antidepressant treatment before, during and after childbirth. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Primary care in the United Kingdom (UK). PARTICIPANTS: Women aged 15–49 with a si...
OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between antidepressant treatment before, during and after childbirth. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Primary care in the United Kingdom (UK). PARTICIPANTS: Women aged 15–49 with a single live birth (2006–2015), stratified by antidepressant history: Cohort A: Prescribed antidepressants ≥ 2 years before childbirth. Cohort B: Prescribed 1–2 years before childbirth. Cohort C: Prescribed within 1 year before childbirth. Cohort D: No antidepressants prescribed before childbirth. OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in antidepressant treatment during the perinatal period. RESULTS: Of 202,303 women, 46,479 (23%) had pre-childbirth antidepressant prescriptions (Cohorts A: 37,161; B: 19,627; C: 14,363), while 155,824 (77%) did not (Cohort D). In cohort A, 76% discontinued treatment in the year before childbirth, compared to 48% in cohort B. Postpartum, 22% of those in cohort A and 33% in cohort B restarted treatment. Overall, 26,835/202,303 (13%) received antidepressants in the year after childbirth. Among women without prior treatment, 10,258/155,824 (7%) started antidepressants postpartum, compared to 16,577/46,479 (36%) of those with prior use. Cohort C had the highest postpartum prescription rate (9,232/14,363, 64%). CONCLUSIONS: Antidepressant treatment after childbirth is common, particularly among women who have received treatment before childbirth. Many women discontinue antidepressants before or during pregnancy. The study highlights the importance of considering history of antidepressant treatment when planning postnatal care and counselling women on continuing or stopping antidepressants during pregnancy. This information can aid healthcare professionals in advising women about antidepressant use before, during, and after pregnancy, considering individual circumstances and risks.
Adverse pregnancy outcomes as predictors of postpartum psychiatric illness: a retrospective cohort study.
Alhajj M, Madan A, Ramirez P … +1 more , Rohr J
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41801484 · Publisher ↗
PURPOSE: Severe maternal morbidity (SMM as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) as well as other adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) may confer differential risk for postpartum psychiatric illness (PP...
PURPOSE: Severe maternal morbidity (SMM as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) as well as other adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) may confer differential risk for postpartum psychiatric illness (PPI). PPI is often underrecognized, and it can have lasting and harmful effects on both the mother’s and the infant’s well-being. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to explore whether specific pregnancy complications act as potential predictors for PPI, and how this differs across important social determinants of health (e.g. race/ethnicity). METHODS: Participant data was obtained from the electronic health record of patients (N = 19,231) who received perinatal care from HOSPITAL, a hospital system serving the most ethnically diverse large city in the United States, between 2020 and 2023. We utilized univariate and multivariate logistic regression models to obtain odds ratios for the associations desired. RESULTS: After accounting for premorbid psychiatric status, only APOs act as an independent predictor for the development of PPI within a year postpartum, and certain APOs are more closely associated with PPI depending on the mother’s racial/ethnic background. APOs were found to be strongly linked to PPI (OR = 1.43, CI 11.31–1.57, p < .001), specifically for non-Hispanic White women, Hispanic White women, and non-Hispanic Asian women. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the need for a more proactive approach to screening, monitoring, and treatment in maternal mental healthcare, that would encompass both the specific APOs and the racial/ethnic differences associated with them.
Personality and cortical architecture in premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Bücklein-Ehlers E, Dubol M, Derntl B … +3 more , Fallgatter A, Sundström-Poromaa I, Comasco E
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41801468 · Full text
PURPOSE: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) has been associated with altered grey matter architecture in a trait-like manner. Personality traits, shaped largely by genetics and linked to depressive disorders, may rel...
PURPOSE: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) has been associated with altered grey matter architecture in a trait-like manner. Personality traits, shaped largely by genetics and linked to depressive disorders, may relate to structural properties of the brain and could represent a potential factor mediating vulnerability for PMDD. However, these possible associations remain largely unexplored. METHODS: The present study assessed personality traits in participants with PMDD and healthy controls, as well as how personality is related to symptom severity and cortical surface measures in PMDD. Healthy controls and patients completed the Swedish Universities Scale of Personality. Following prospective validation of the PMDD diagnosis, patients had their brain scanned with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during the symptomatic luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Personality of controls and patients was compared using Mann-Whitney U tests. Associations of personality with symptom severity and brain surface parameters were tested through correlation analysis. RESULTS: PMDD was associated with higher scores in neuroticism and aggressiveness. Aggressiveness was positively correlated with the severity of irritability/anger, though not significant after correcting for multiple testing. Regarding cortical structural measures, aggressiveness was negatively correlated with cortical complexity of the parahippocampal gyrus. CONCLUSION: Considering neuroticism and aggressiveness during screening for PMDD could contribute to the identification of risk factors and personalized treatment of females suffering from PMDD.
Patterns of respectful care and mistreatment during childbirth in relation to perinatal mental health: a secondary analysis of listening to mothers in California.
Iobst S, Erickson E
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41792511 · Full text
PURPOSE: Despite mental health conditions being the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States, the relationship between perinatal mental health and mistreatment during childbirth has been insufficiently ex...
PURPOSE: Despite mental health conditions being the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States, the relationship between perinatal mental health and mistreatment during childbirth has been insufficiently examined. The objective was to identify patterns of respectful care and mistreatment during childbirth and examine associations with perinatal mental health. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of Listening to Mothers in California (N = 2,539). We conducted latent class analysis of indicator variables describing rough or rude care, discriminatory treatment, support, communication, and encouragement of autonomous decision-making. We conducted multinomial logistic regression to examine symptomatology for antenatal anxiety and antenatal depression in relation to class membership. Logistic regression was used to examine class membership in relation to symptomatology for postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression. RESULTS: Four latent classes were identified: Class 1 (84.54%): Respected/Supported, Class 2 (6.69%): Not Supported, Class 3 (5.39%): Rough/Rude, Class 4 (3.38%): Rough/Rude/Discriminated. Women with antenatal depression symptomatology were 3.28 times as likely to be classified in Class 4 versus Class 1 (aRRR 3.28, CI95% 1.88–5.73). Women with antenatal anxiety symptomatology had a higher risk of classification in Class 4 than Class 1 (aRRR 2.04, CI95% 1.21–3.43). Compared to women in Class 1, women in Class 2 had 2.06 higher adjusted risk of postpartum anxiety (aRRR 2.06, CI95% 1.26–3.36). CONCLUSIONS: Women who were symptomatic for antenatal anxiety or antenatal depression were at increased risk for mistreatment and not receiving support during childbirth. Women who did not feel supported had increased risk of symptomatology for postpartum anxiety.
Transdiagnostic neuropsychological factors in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and premenstrual syndrome: a comparison of the premenstrual and postmenstrual phases.
Torabi R, Nasiri F, Rahmani F
Arch Womens Ment Health · 2026 Mar · PMID 41776141 · Publisher ↗
PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare transdiagnostic neuropsychological factors among women with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), and asymptomatic control groups. METHODS: Using a caus...
PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare transdiagnostic neuropsychological factors among women with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), and asymptomatic control groups. METHODS: Using a causal-comparative design, 150 female university students aged 20 to 35 were selected through purposive sampling. Participants were categorized into PMS, PMDD, and asymptomatic control groups based on a structured clinical interview and a screening questionnaire. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed using the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), the Go/No-Go Task, and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). RESULTS: Significant differences were observed among the three groups in sustained attention, inhibitory control, and risky decision-making. The PMDD group consistently showed lower performance than the PMS and asymptomatic control groups. Within-group phase comparisons revealed a significant decline in sustained attention only in the PMS group during the premenstrual phase, while other cognitive functions remained stable across menstrual cycle phases. No significant menstrual cycle phase changes were observed in the PMDD or asymptomatic control groups. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that women with PMDD and PMS exhibit difficulties in attention, inhibitory control, and decision-making compared to the asymptomatic control group. Such difficulties appear to be related to symptom burden, highlighting potential targets for assessment and intervention.
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