Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Nov;58(11):642-648.
doi: 10.11622/smedj.2016100. Epub 2016 Jun 1.

Patterns and predictors of treatment outcome for antenatal major depression

Tze-Ern Chua  1   2 , John Carson Allen  3 , Loretta Ang  1 , Li Lian Ong  1 , Ying Chia Ch'ng  1 , Helen Chen  1   4   2
Affiliations

Patterns and predictors of treatment outcome for antenatal major depression

Tze-Ern Chua et al. Singapore Med J. 2017 Nov.

Abstract

Introduction: Antenatal major depression is a relatively common and potentially debilitating illness, but knowledge of its treatment outcomes and strategies is still lacking. This study aimed to explore the clinical profiles and treatment outcomes of patients with antenatal major depression, to look for patterns and associations that could guide subsequent research and clinical applications.

Methods: From May 2006 to November 2010, 118 consecutive patients with antenatal major depression were naturalistically assessed over eight months of individualised therapy, and their characteristics were assessed as potential predictors of treatment outcome.

Results: All participants accepted supportive counselling and case management, although only 51 (43.2%) participants accepted low-dose antidepressant therapy. Overall, 95 (80.5%) of them were successfully discharged, while 12 (10.2%) required extended treatment into the postnatal period. An equation for prognosticating the need for extended treatment was obtained using multiple logistic regression analysis, which incorporated three predictors: previous depression (odds ratio [OR] 12.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40-110; p = 0.024); maternal age < 26 years or > 35 years (OR 6.88, 95% CI 1.67-28.4; p = 0.008); and no use of antidepressant (OR 6.94, 95% CI 0.79-60.9; p = 0.080). Among participants with previous depression and at either extreme of maternal age, the number needed to treat with antidepressants to avert extended treatment was three.

Conclusion: The majority of women with antenatal major depression recovered after receiving short-term treatment. Those with previous depression and who were of relative extreme maternal age were most likely to benefit from antidepressant treatment to expedite recovery.

Keywords: antenatal; antidepressant; major depression; psychiatric case management; treatment outcome.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart shows the predicted probabilities of requiring extended treatment for antenatal major depression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Chong SA, Abdin E, Vaingankar JA, et al. A population-based survey of mental disorders in Singapore. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2012;41:49–66. - PubMed
    1. Department of Statistics, Singapore. Births and deaths [updated 23 May 2016] [Accessed May 24 2016]. Available at: http://www.singstat.gov.sg/statistics/latest-data#16 .
    1. Thiagayson P, Krishnaswamy G, Lim ML, et al. Depression and anxiety in Singaporean high-risk pregnancies-prevalence and screening. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2013;35:112–6. - PubMed
    1. Keleher V, Nyunt SZ, Broekman B, Chee C. Prevalence and risk factors for antenatal depression in pregnant women attending National University Hospital, Singapore. Eur Psychiatry. 2012;27(Suppl 1):1. - PubMed
    1. Gavin AR, Tabb KM, Melville JL, Guo Y, Katon W. Prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation during pregnancy. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2011;14:239–46. - PMC - PubMed

Substances