Psychiatric patients have an increased risk of general medical conditions and mortality, but no study has systematically explored these outcomes among women with mental disorders following childbirth (postpartum psychiatric disorders: PPD). Therefore,...
Psychiatric patients have an increased risk of general medical conditions and mortality, but no study has systematically explored these outcomes among women with mental disorders following childbirth (postpartum psychiatric disorders: PPD). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the risk of subsequent general medical conditions and mortality in women with a broad spectrum of PPD.
This register‐based cohort study followed all Danish women born after January 1, 1960, until January 1, 2016. The exposure of interest was (i) mild‐moderate PPD: first‐ever prescription of psychotropic medication (ATC codes: N03‐N07) and (ii) severe PPD: first‐ever in‐ or out‐patient contact to a psychiatric facility, both within six months postpartum. Outcomes of interest were (i) hospital‐registered chronic medical conditions and (ii) mortality from natural and unnatural causes. We included 1 841 949 women representing 22 615 310 person‐years at risk.
Among 15 852 women with mild‐moderate PPD and 4266 women with severe PPD, we found a higher risk of any subsequent general medical condition (mild‐moderate PPD: IRR 1.25; 95% CI 1.20–1.31 and severe PPD: IRR 1.35; 95% CI: 1.24–1.48) when compared to the female background population. Mortality from both natural and unnatural causes was higher in both groups: Mild‐moderate PPD: natural causes MRR 1.37; 95% CI: 1.17–1.61; unnatural causes MRR 1.52; 95% CI: 1.10–2.11, and severe PPD: natural causes MRR 1.42; 95% CI 1.02–2.00, and unnatural causes MRR 5.05; 95% CI: 3.40–7.51.
This first overview of general medical prognosis in PPD shows that women at either end of the spectrum are at increased risk of subsequent chronic medical conditions and overall mortality.