OBJECTIVE: Although the prevalence of perinatal depression (depression occurring during pregnancy and postpartum) is 10%, little is known about psychiatric comorbidity in these women.

The gap

Consensus across the literature

Supporting evidence — 8 representative gaps

• Mothers Time: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of a Community‐Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention on Postpartum Mental Health and Family Planning in Northwest Ethiopia (2025) · doi

  Depression and anxiety symptoms are associated with increased unmet need for family planning (FP) postpartum, yet solutions promoting the integration of mental health into FP service settings remain scarce.

  Keywords: depression anxiety symptoms associated increased unmet need family planning postpartum solutions promoting integration mental health
• Postpartum depression in adolescent mothers before and during COVID-19 and the role of self-esteem, maternal self-efficacy, and social support (2024) · doi

  Although the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of vulnerable populations, such as adolescent mothers, very few studies have documented the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in this population.

  Keywords: covid pandemic negatively impacted mental health vulnerable populations adolescent mothers documented prevalence postpartum depression population
• Depressive Symptoms in the Late Postpartum Among Low Socioeconomic Status Women (1999) · doi

  BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression has been the focus of much research in the past 15 years, but little is known about factors associated with depression of longer duration or later onset.

  Keywords: depression background postpartum focus past years little known factors associated longer duration later onset
• Prevalence and risk factors for postpartum depression among women with preterm and low‐birth‐weight infants: a systematic review (2010) · doi

  BACKGROUND: Although much is known about the risk factors for postpartum depression (PPD), the role of giving birth to a preterm or low-birth-weight infant has not been reviewed systematically.

  Keywords: birth background known risk factors postpartum depression role giving preterm weight infant reviewed systematically
• Eating Disorders and Trauma History in Women with Perinatal Depression (2011) · doi

  OBJECTIVE: Although the prevalence of perinatal depression (depression occurring during pregnancy and postpartum) is 10%, little is known about psychiatric comorbidity in these women.

  Keywords: depression objective prevalence perinatal occurring pregnancy postpartum little known psychiatric comorbidity women
• Women's perceptions of partner support and conflict in the development of postpartum depressive symptoms (2006) · doi

  BACKGROUND: Although the quality of a woman's relationship with her partner has been associated with risk for postpartum depression, few studies have examined which elements of partner-specific support and conflict are determinants of maternal mental health.

  Keywords: partner background quality woman relationship associated risk postpartum depression examined elements specific support conflict determinants
• Demographic Characteristics of Participants in Studies of Risk Factors, Prevention, and Treatment of Postpartum Depression (2006) · doi

  However, no studies have systematically examined the extent to which the samples used in published research on postpartum depression have included sufficiently diverse samples of women to merit this conclusion.

  Keywords: samples systematically examined extent used published postpartum depression included sufficiently diverse women merit conclusion
• Associations Between Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Couples’ Sexual Function and Sexual Distress Trajectories Across the Transition to Parenthood (2021) · doi

  Postpartum depression is a risk factor for sexual dysfunction; however, the association between depressive symptoms and how postpartum sexual dysfunction evolves has not been examined.

  Keywords: postpartum sexual dysfunction depression risk factor association depressive symptoms evolves examined