TY - JOUR
T1 - Familial risk of postpartum depression
AU - Rasmussen, Marie-Louise H
AU - Poulsen, Gry J
AU - Wohlfahrt, Jan
AU - Videbech, Poul
AU - Melbye, Mads
N1 - This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Many psychiatric diseases have a strong familial aggregation, but it is unknown whether postpartum depression (PPD) without prior psychiatric history aggregates in families.METHODS: Based on Danish national registers, we constructed a cohort with information on 848,544 singleton deliveries (1996-2017). Women with an episode of PPD were defined as having used antidepressant medication and/or had a hospital contact for depression within 6 months after delivery. Those with psychiatric history prior to the delivery were excluded. We estimated relative risk (RR) of PPD, comparing women with female relatives with and without PPD history, respectively.RESULTS: Overall, women with a PPD history in female blood relatives had themselves a higher risk of PPD (RR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.16-2.34). Having the first-degree female relative with PPD history was associated with a more than 2.5 times (RR = 2.65, 95% CI 1.79-3.91) increased risk of PPD. However, having the second/third-degree female relative and/or a female non-blood relative with PPD history did not increase the woman's own risk of PPD (RR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.26-1.28, RR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.83-1.44).CONCLUSION: Postpartum depression aggregates in families with no other psychiatric history, but the findings do not support a strong genetic trait as a major cause. Other possible mechanisms are shared environment and/or health-seeking behavior in close relationships.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Many psychiatric diseases have a strong familial aggregation, but it is unknown whether postpartum depression (PPD) without prior psychiatric history aggregates in families.METHODS: Based on Danish national registers, we constructed a cohort with information on 848,544 singleton deliveries (1996-2017). Women with an episode of PPD were defined as having used antidepressant medication and/or had a hospital contact for depression within 6 months after delivery. Those with psychiatric history prior to the delivery were excluded. We estimated relative risk (RR) of PPD, comparing women with female relatives with and without PPD history, respectively.RESULTS: Overall, women with a PPD history in female blood relatives had themselves a higher risk of PPD (RR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.16-2.34). Having the first-degree female relative with PPD history was associated with a more than 2.5 times (RR = 2.65, 95% CI 1.79-3.91) increased risk of PPD. However, having the second/third-degree female relative and/or a female non-blood relative with PPD history did not increase the woman's own risk of PPD (RR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.26-1.28, RR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.83-1.44).CONCLUSION: Postpartum depression aggregates in families with no other psychiatric history, but the findings do not support a strong genetic trait as a major cause. Other possible mechanisms are shared environment and/or health-seeking behavior in close relationships.
KW - Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use
KW - Cohort Studies
KW - Depression, Postpartum/epidemiology
KW - Female
KW - Genetic Predisposition to Disease
KW - Humans
KW - Postpartum Period
KW - Risk Factors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134691098&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/acps.13465
DO - 10.1111/acps.13465
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35731191
SN - 0001-690X
VL - 146
SP - 340
EP - 349
JO - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
JF - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
IS - 4
ER -