Depression during pregnancy linked to greater suicide risk

People who suffer from depression during or after pregnancy face a heightened risk for suicide, according to two recent studies. The first, published in JAMA Network Open, found people with perinatal depression were three times as likely to exhibit suicidal behavior, with the risk higher among people with postnatal depression and during the first year after being diagnosed. The suicide risk remained elevated for up to 18 years. The authors call for “vigilant clinical monitoring and interventions” to prevent suicides. The study consisted of 952,061 women with 18 years of follow-up. A second study, published in BMJ, found people diagnosed with perinatal depression had a three times greater risk of committing suicide than people who did not. (The Hill article, 1/11/24)