Cohort study of depressed mood during pregnancy and after childbirth

Objective To follow mothers' mood through pregnancy and after childbirth an d compare reported symptoms of depression at each stage. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Setting Avon. Participants Pregnant women resident within Avon with an expected date of d elivery between 1 April 1991 and 31 December 1992. Main outcome measures Symptom scores from the Edinburgh postnatal depressio n scale at 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy and 8 weeks and 8 months postpartum . Proportion of women above a threshold indicating probable depressive diso rder. Results Depression scores were higher at 32 weeks of pregnancy than 8 weeks postpartum (difference in means 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.79 to 0.97 ). There was no difference in the distribution of total scores or scores fo r individual items at the four time points. 1222 (13.5%) women scored above threshold for probable depression at 32 weeks of pregnancy, 821 (9.1%) at 8 weeks postpartum, and 147 (1.6%) throughout. More mothers moved above the threshold for depression between 18 weeks and 32 weeks of pregnancy than b etween 32 weeks of pregnancy and 8 weeks postpartum. Conclusions Symptoms of depression are not more common or severe after chil dbirth than during pregnancy. Research and clinical efforts need to be move d towards understanding, recognising, and treating antenatal depression.