Similarities and differences between postpartum depression and depression at other stages of female life: a systematic review

Abstract

Background

Women are nearly twice as likely as men to suffer from depression throughout the life span. In particular, reproductive transition phases mark a period of vulnerability for female mood disorders. The life events of being pregnant and giving birth harbor multiple psychological and physiological challenges, and a lack of adjustment to these events can result in mood swings and depression. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the symptomatology of postpartum depression (PPD), including tools that have been used to assess PPD, and potential phenomenological differences to major depression during other life phases.

Methods

A systematic literature search in the databases PubMed, Cochrane Library and PsycINFO was conducted with the keywords “postpartum depression” and “symptomatology”. A total of 33 studies fulfilled the chosen criteria and were selected for the review.

Results

Within the studies, 22 different tools were used to assess depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. A total of 29 questionnaires or interviews were applied to detect additional psychopathological symptoms present in the perinatal period, such as anxiety. Most studies that included a control group of non-perinatal women concluded that postpartum depression is nosologically distinct from depression occurring at other stages of female life.

Discussion

Somatic symptoms in the puerperium contribute to psychopathological burden and might result in diverse clinical representations of postpartum depression. Anxiety frequently co-occurs with depression during the perinatal period. However, the diversity of screening instruments for postpartum depression does not allow for general conclusions to be drawn about similarities or differences in the psychopathological profiles of postpartum women with depression and women with depression at other stages of life.

Keywords:

• Postpartum depression
• major depression
• symptomatology
• pregnancy

Acknowledgements

We thank Sarah Mannion for proofreading the manuscript.

Author contributions

Conception: UE, AJ.

Acquisition of data: AJ.

Interpretation of data: AJ, UE.

Drafting the manuscript: AJ.

Critical revision: UE.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation [reference number: 100014_182120/1 to UE]. The funding body had no influence on the design, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.