Panic disorder during pregnancy and postpartum period.
BACKGROUND
Earlier studies on the influence of pregnancy and postpartum period on the course of panic disorder have been inconsistent. The present study aims to quantify panic manifestations in these periods in large sample of women.


METHODS
Panic manifestations, including exacerbations and new manifestations of panic disorder, were assessed retrospectively in a sample of 128 women with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, 93 of whom had had 195 pregnancies.


RESULTS
Panic manifestations were fewer during pregnancy and more frequent in the postpartum period when compared with the control period. Women who had never been pregnant had significantly more panic manifestations than women with prior pregnancies. Breastfeeding and miscarriages did not have a significant effect. Women with postpartum panic reported more psychosocial stress events during this period.


CONCLUSIONS
Possible reasons for postpartum panic and the protective effects of pregnancy are discussed, including psychosocial or hormonal factors and other neurobiological changes. Postpartum panic coincides with a sudden drop of hormones after delivery.
Bandelow
Borwin
B
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Göttingen, Germany. Borwin.Bandelow@medizin.uni-goettingen.de
Sojka
Felicita
F
Broocks
Andreas
A
Hajak
Göran
G
Bleich
Stefan
S
Rüther
Eckart
E
D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors