Cohort study, 2022
Does depression after pregnancy affect when periods return and how severe menstrual symptoms are?
Women with higher depression scores at 6 months postpartum were more likely to have their periods return within 6 months. Women whose menstrual symptoms worsened had higher depression scores, but this wasn't confirmed when adjusted for other factors.
What they did
A prospective cohort study of 229 women in Japan. Women filled out questionnaires at 3 days, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after giving birth. Depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.
What they found
38.8% of women had their periods return within 6 months postpartum. Women who resumed menstruation had significantly higher depression scores at 6 months than those who didn't. Women whose menstrual symptoms worsened compared to before pregnancy had higher depression scores during the postpartum period.
What it means for you
Depression in the early postpartum period may be linked to when periods return and how severe symptoms are. However, the study didn't prove depression directly causes worse symptoms. Findings are from Japan and may not apply to all populations.
38.8%
Women with period resumption within 6 months
229
Total participants
6
Months of follow-up
About the study
- Original title
- Associations of psychological status in the early postpartum period with resumption of menstruation and degree of menstruation-related symptoms
- Authors
- Ishihara R, Nagamine K, Nishikawa Y et al.
- Journal
- Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology : the journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Year
- 2022
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 229
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/01443615.2022.2114334
Topics
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