Depression symptoms during pregnancy: Evidence from Growing Up in New Zealand

Background: Depression during pregnancy has significant implications for pregnancy outcomes and maternal and child health. There is a need to identify which family, physical and mental health factors are associated with depression during pregnancy.

Methods: An ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of 5664 pregnant women living in New Zealand completed a face-to-face interview during the third trimester. Antenatal depression (AD) symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Maternal demographic, physical and mental health, and family and relationship characteristics were measured. The association between symptoms of AD and maternal characteristics was determined using multiple logistic regression.

Results: 11.9% of the participating women had EPDS scores (13+) that indicated probable AD. When considering sociodemographic predictors of AD symptoms, we found that women from non-European ethnicities, specifically Pacific Islander, Asian and other, were more likely to suffer from AD symptoms. Greater perceived stress during pregnancy and a diagnosis of anxiety both before and during pregnancy were also associated with greater odds of having AD according to the EPDS.

Limitations: The women were in their third trimester of pregnancy at the interview. Therefore, we cannot discount the possibility of recall bias for questions relating to pre-pregnancy status or early-pregnancy behaviours.

Conclusions: AD is prevalent amongst New Zealand women. Ethnicity, perceived stress and anxiety are particularly associated with a greater likelihood of depression during pregnancy. Further attention to supporting maternal mental health status in the antenatal period is required.