Social adversity in pregnancy and trajectories of women’s depressive symptoms: A longitudinal study

Publication date: Available online 12 July 2017
Source:Women and Birth
Author(s): Ann M. Kingsbury, Maria Plotnikova, Alexandra Clavarino, Abullah Mamun, Jake M. Najman
BackgroundSound evidence has linked the experience of adversity with depression. Less is known about this association over time.AimThe aim of this study is to determine whether or not social adversity experienced by pregnant women is associated with their patterns of depressive symptoms over their reproductive life course.MethodsData were obtained from a cohort of women collected at their first obstetrical clinic visit of an index pregnancy (time-point 1) and at a further six time-points to 27 years following the birth. Latent Class Growth Modelling was used to estimate trajectories of women's depressive symptoms over this time period. Logistic regression modelling determined the prospective association between measures of adversity in pregnancy and 27-year postpartum depression trajectories, controlling for potential confounders.FindingsExperiencing financial problems, housing problems, serious disagreements with partners and with others, and experiencing serious health problems in pregnancy were associated with membership of high and middle depression trajectories over the 27 years. Having someone close die or have a serious illness was associated with the high depression trajectory only. Younger maternal age and low family-income at first clinic visit were also associated with an increased risk of women's membership of both high and middle depression trajectories.ConclusionsExperiencing adversity during pregnancy predicts subsequent patterns of maternal depression over an extended period of women's reproductive life course. It is not clear whether women's experiences of adversity during pregnancy were causally associated with subsequent depression or whether there are other explanations of the observed association.



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