Citation

Coker JL, Tripathi SP, Knight BT, Pennell PB, Magann EF, Newport DJ, Stowe ZN. Arch. Women Ment. Health 2017; 20(5): 687-694.

Affiliation

Women's Mental Health Program, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, No. 843, Little Rock, AR, 72205-7199, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00737-017-0749-2

PMID

28664216

Abstract

We examined the utility of screening instruments to identify risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI) in a population of women with neuropsychiatric illnesses at high risk for postpartum depression. Pregnant women with neuropsychiatric illness enrolled prior to 20 weeks of gestation. Follow-up visits at 4-8-week intervals through 13 weeks postpartum included assessment of depressive symptoms with both clinician and self-rated scales. A total of 842 women were included in the study. Up to 22.3% of postpartum women admitted SI on rating scales, despite the majority (79%) receiving active pharmacological treatment for psychiatric illness. Postpartum women admitting self-harm/SI were more likely to meet criteria for current major depressive episode (MDE), less than college education, an unplanned pregnancy, a history of past suicide attempt, and a higher score on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. In women with a history of neuropsychiatric illness, over 20% admitted SI during the postpartum period despite ongoing psychiatric treatment. Patient-rated depression scales are more sensitive screening tools than a clinician-rated depression scale for +SI in the postpartum period.

Language: en

Keywords

Postpartum; Risk factors; Suicidal ideation