Study: Pregnancy May Not Help Depression

Pregnant women who stop taking antidepressants run a high risk of slipping back into depression, a study found, busting the myth that the surge of hormones during pregnancy keeps mothers-to-be happy and glowing.

The study offers new information but no clear answers for expectant mothers who must balance the risk of medications harming the fetus against the danger of untreated depression.

“It’s important that patients not assume that the hormones of pregnancy are going to protect them from the types of problems they’ve had with mood previously,” said study co-author Dr. Lee Cohen of Massachusetts General Hospital.

The study does not deal with postpartum depression — the depression that sets in after delivery, and is often blamed on hormonal changes. The research looks only at depression during pregnancy, a condition far less understood.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 1 Feb 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.