title: The prevalence and determinants of antepartum mental health problems among women in the USA: a nationally representative population-based study.
abstract: Mental health problems disproportionately affect women, particularly during childbearing years. We sought to estimate the prevalence of antepartum mental health problems and determine potential risk factors in a representative USA population. We examined data on 3,051 pregnant women from 11 panels of the 1996-2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Poor antepartum mental health was defined by self report of mental health conditions or symptoms or a mental health rating of "fair" or "poor." Multivariate regression analyses modeled the odds of poor antepartum mental health; 7.8% of women reported poor antepartum mental health. A history of mental health problems increased the odds of poor antepartum mental health by a factor of 8.45 (95% CI, 6.01-11.88). Multivariate analyses were stratified by history of mental health problems. Significant factors among both groups included never being married and self-reported fair/poor health status. This study identifies key risk factors associated with antepartum mental health problems in a nationally representative sample of pregnant women. Women with low social support, in poor health, or with a history of poor mental health are at an increased risk of having antepartum mental health problems. Understanding these risk factors is critical to improve the long-term health of women and their children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, 610 North Walnut Street, Office 503, Madison, WI 53726, USA. wwitt@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Whitney P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: DeLeire
authors.forename: Erika W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: Margarete A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.forename: Lauren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Wisk
authors.forename: Hilary A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Spear
authors.forename: Erika R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Torsheika
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maddox
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hampton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005006:Ethnicity; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008603:Mental Health; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology