UK: Pregnant women with depression twice more likely to die than non-depressed ones, study finds

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal has raised alarms about the heightened risk of suicide and suicide attempts among women facing depression during pregnancy or within the first year after childbirth. The research reveals a concerning statistic: women grappling with perinatal depression are twice as likely to succumb to death compared to their non-depressed counterparts. Suicide emerged as the primary cause of death for women in the UK within six weeks to one year post-birth, with psychiatric causes contributing to nearly 40% of maternal deaths, according to the Perinatal Mortality Surveillance report. Disturbingly, in 2022, suicide topped the list of causes of death for women in this specific timeframe. Moreover, a Perinatal Mortality Surveillance report highlighted that psychiatric causes were responsible for almost 40% of maternal deaths overall. A revealing analysis by the Labour party exposed a concerning trend - a surge in the number of pregnant women on waiting lists for specialised mental health support, increasing by 40% between August 2022 and March 2023, reaching 30,000 women. Recent NHS data from September 2023 indicated that 61,000 women sought perinatal mental health services. The health service aims to cater to 66,000 women in the 2023-24 period, emphasizing the pressing need for accessible care. Highlighting the gravity of the situation, a study examining data from 2011 to 2018 in Sweden found that women with perinatal depression faced more than double the risk of mortality compared to those without the condition. The study accounted for various risk factors, including socioeconomic status, pre-existing psychiatric disorders, adverse birth outcomes, and child loss within the first year after birth. The report concludes with a stark warning: heightened awareness is crucial among affected women, their families, and healthcare professionals, especially those in primary, maternal, and mental care. Early detection and intervention are imperative to prevent the tragic consequences associated with perinatal depression.