MedPage Today (11/20, DePeau-Wilson ) reports, “Diagnoses of postpartum depression (PPD) increased significantly across all racial and ethnic groups and prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) categories over the past decade, according to a California-based cross-sectional study.” An analysis of over “400,000 pregnancies found that prevalence of PPD doubled from 2010 to 2021 (9.4% vs 19%).” Although “rates increased across all groups, the largest increases were seen in those who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (280% increase) and non-Hispanic Black (140% increase).”
The findings were published in JAMA Network Open. Ludmila De Faria, MD, the chair for APA’s Council on Women’s Mental Health, “said these findings are a huge positive and also a call to action.” She said, “It confirms what we know, that all of the emphasis on early detection and screening has paid off, and now more people are definitely being identified that struggle with postpartum depression. … The issue is, do they all have access to care?”
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