Perinatal mental disorders in native Danes and immigrant women.
We aimed to explore if first- and second-generation immigrants have similar risks of mental disorder in pregnancy and postpartum as native Danes have. A population-based cohort study merging data from two Danish population registers was conducted, and survival analyses were performed. A total of 736,988 women were classified as native Danes, first- or second-generation immigrants. The main outcome measure was incident psychiatric in- or outpatient contacts during pregnancy or 0-12 months postpartum. First- and second-generation immigrant mothers had a higher overall risk of psychiatric contacts during both pregnancy and postpartum compared to native Danish mothers. Additionally, in native Danes as well as first- and second-generation immigrant new mothers, the highest risk of psychiatric in- or outpatient contact with a mental disorder was 0-29 days postpartum (RR, 3.09 (95% CI, 2.75-3.48); 2.91 (95% CI, 2.20-3.86); 4.55 (95% CI, 3.33-6.24), respectively), after which the risk decreased with time since childbirth. The increased risk of mental disorders shortly after childbirth applied to native Danish mothers as well as first- and second-generation immigrant mothers. Moreover, overall immigrants conferred a higher risk of psychiatric contact throughout the entire perinatal period.
Munk-Olsen
Trine
T
National Centre for Register-Based Research, Aarhus University, Taasingegade 1, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark. tmo@ncrr.dk
Laursen
Thomas Munk
TM
Mendelson
Tamar
T
Pedersen
Carsten B
CB
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D018743:Perinatal Care; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult