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. 2019 Dec;35(4):264-271.
doi: 10.1097/YCT.0000000000000578.

Rehospitalization of Postpartum Depression and Psychosis After Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Population-Based Study With a Matched Control Group

Ida Rönnqvist  1 , Ole Brus  2 , Åsa Hammar  3   4 , Mikael Landén  5   6 , Johan Lundberg  7 , Pia Nordanskog  8   9 , Axel Nordenskjöld  1
Affiliations

Rehospitalization of Postpartum Depression and Psychosis After Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Population-Based Study With a Matched Control Group

Ida Rönnqvist et al. J ECT. 2019 Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used in some cases of postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum psychosis (PPP). The risk of relapse for PPD and PPP after ECT is unknown. This study compared the relapse rate after ECT between women who had been treated for PPD and/or PPP and women who had been treated for depression and/or psychosis outside the postpartum period.

Methods: The Swedish National Quality Register for ECT and the Swedish National Patient Register were used to identify women with PPD and/or PPP who had been treated with ECT within 6 months after delivery. For each case, a control (treated with ECT but not postpartum) patient was also selected. A Kaplan-Meier estimator was used to calculate the relapse rate (defined as rehospitalization or suicide) after ECT. Cox regression was used to identify variables associated with relapse.

Results: A total of 180 patients were included in each group. The proportions of patients who suffered relapse after 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years were 28%, 31%, and 40% for the postpartum group and 39%, 50%, and 55% for the nonpostpartum group. Treatment with benzodiazepines, several previous psychiatric admissions, and the absence of improvement after ECT were associated with relapse.

Conclusions: The risk of relapse after ECT is lower for patients with PPD and/or PPP than for patients outside the postpartum period, but the risk is nonetheless substantial in both groups.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest or financial disclosures to rep.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Proportion free from rehospitalization or suicide after ECT for PPD or psychosis compared with matched controls treated outside the postpartum period.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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