Post-Security Depression In The US Doubles

Illustration of pregnant women experiencing depression after childbirth (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Post-treatment depression or postpartum depression is one of the significant mental health problems, with serious impacts on mother and child.

A recent study revealed that the prevalence of this disturbance has almost doubled in the past decade in the United States.

The study, published by Medical Daily, evaluates the post-derived depression diagnosis trend based on racial, ethnic, and body mass index (BMI) factors before pregnancy. The data analyzed includes 442,308 births in the United States.

The results showed that the prevalence of post-waterline depression increased sharply, from 9.4% in 2010 to 19 percent in 2021. This increase was more striking in groups with higher pre-pregnancy BMI.

Mental health disorders can reduce emotional closeness between mothers and children, reduce breastfeeding success rates, and increase the risk of developmental delays in children. In extreme cases, post-treated depression can trigger suicide or violence against babies.

The study published at the JAMA Network Open also highlighted that increased prevalence occurred in all race groups, ethnicity, and BMI categories over the past decade. In addition to increased awareness and screening that may have contributed to the high diagnosis rate, the researchers also suspect that there is a connection with the increasing number of obesity.

In 2021, data shows the prevalence of post-partial depression of 17 percent between mothers and BMI normal, 19.8 percent for those with excess weight, 21.2 percent for mothers with mild obesity, and 24.2 percent for mothers with severe obesity.

This study highlights the importance of continuous monitoring of the post-trial trend of depression. By understanding the prevalence patterns and related demographic and clinical factors, these findings can provide important guidance for future public health initiatives, in order to improve maternal and child health and mental health," the researchers wrote, as quoted by Antara.

In analysis related to age, race, and BMI, it was found that mothers of advanced age, those who come from non-Hispanic white skin or non-Hispanic black skin, have a history of substance abuse during pregnancy, or have a high BMI before pregnancy tends to have a greater risk of depression after childbirth.

This is in line with previous studies that emphasized the need for special interventions for high-risk groups. Meanwhile, according to data from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), post-trial depression symptoms had decreased from 15 percent in 2004 to 10 percent in 2012.

However, this report does not cover data from California and is only based on an independent report, not an official medical diagnosis.