Diabetes Doubles Risk of Postpartum Depression

Women with diabetes have nearly double the risk of developing depression during pregnancy or in the months after childbirth than non-diabetics, a new study finds.

Researchers at the School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School analyzed health records of more than 11,000 low-income women enrolled in New Jersey’s Medicaid program. Their study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reports that 15 percent of women with diabetes experienced depression during or after pregnancy, compared with 8 percent of women without diabetes.

“Even diabetics who weren’t depressed during pregnancy had higher odds of becoming depressed within a year of giving birth,” says SPH professor and study co-author Bernard Harlow. SPH associate professor Mark Pereira is another co-author.

Diabetes may trigger hormonal changes

One theory is that diabetes triggers hormonal changes in the body that can lead to depression.

“The stress associated with managing a chronic illness and pregnancy at the same time can contribute to depression as well,” says Harlow.

First study to link diabetes and depression in new mothers

Diabetes and depression have been linked before, but this is the first study to examine diabetes and depression in new mothers.

The researches suggest that women using state Medicaid services may be particularly vulnerable to postpartum depression due to higher rates of known risk factors. Yet, while this study was done with low-income women, the findings may be similar for higher-income women, though the stressors may be different.

Says Harlow, “Health care providers should pay particular attention to managing the mental health concerns of women with diabetes during pregnancy and the postpartum period.”