Mental health in the two years following hypertensive and normotensive pregnancy: The Postpartum, Physiology, Psychology and Paediatric follow-up (P4) cohort study

Abstract

Background: Postpartum mental illnesses and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are both common, and both associated with adverse maternal and child health outcomes. However, the relationship between them is unclear. This study aimed to investigate prevalence and symptom severity of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 2-years postpartum in women with normal blood pressure (NBP) during pregnancy versus preeclampsia or gestational hypertension (GH).

Methods: Two-years follow-up of the prospective Postpartum, Physiology, Psychology and Paediatric (P4) Cohort Study was conducted in metropolitan Australia. Prevalence and symptom severity of depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, EPDS > 12), anxiety (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, GAD-7 ≥ 10) and PTSD (Posttraumatic stress Diagnostic Scale, PDS/PDS-5) were measured and calculated for women with NBP, preeclampsia and GH.

Results: Among 365 participants (NBP: n = 271, preeclampsia: n = 75, GH: n = 19), 2-years postpartum depression prevalence was 3.9% (95% CI 2.3-6.4%): 4.4% after NBP, and 2.7% after preeclampsia (p = 0.53). Anxiety prevalence was higher after GH than NBP (15.8% versus 3.3%, p = 0.02). Prevalence of any mental illness (depression/anxiety/PTSD) was 5.9% (95% CI 3.8-8.8%); 5.6% after NBP, 4.1% after PE, and 15.8% after GH (p = 0.15). Although PTSD prevalence was low (1.4%), and similar between groups (p = 0.97), around 3 times more women after PE (8.1%), compared to NBP (2.5%), recalled childbirth as traumatic (p = 0.003).

Conclusions: Preeclampsia, although associated with persistent perceptions of traumatic childbirth, did not alter the risk of mental illnesses at 2-years postpartum. GH (albeit in a small subgroup) was associated with increased anxiety scores. Larger, multicentre studies are required to clarify relationships between HDP and postpartum mental illness.

Trial registration: Retrospectively registered on 18/11/2013 with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry.

Registration number: ACTRN 12613 00,126 0718.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Mental health; Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Postpartum; Preeclampsia.