Healio (2/1, Herpen) reports, “Biological rhythm factors unrelated to sleep influenced severity of symptoms of depression and anxiety for the period around childbirth,” investigators concluded in a study that “recruited 100 women, aged 16 years and older, in their third trimester of pregnancy, with no prior history of head trauma involving loss of consciousness or current major manic or depressive episodes, from Ontario between November 2015 and May 2018.” The study revealed that “higher symptoms for depression and anxiety were observed in the pre-birth interval and were most strongly associated with changes in biorhythm boundaries, such as strength of circadian rhythm, amount of activity during nightly rest and likelihood of smooth transition at night from resting to activity.” The findings were published online Jan. 18 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “Lack of stable biorhythms linked to depression, anxiety in peripartum population “Robert Herpen, Healio, February 1, 2022