Bipolar II disorder as a risk factor for postpartum depression.
There is evidence for a bipolar diathesis in postpartum depression (PPD) and women presenting with a first PPD frequently receive a diagnosis of bipolar type II disorder (BD-II). However formal evidence for an association between BD-II and PPD has not yet been reported. In the present study we tested a potential association between BD-II and PPD.



Parous women with a diagnosis of bipolar type I disorder (BD-I) (n=93), BD-II (n=36) or major depressive disorder (MDD) (n=444) were considered in the present study. All women were retrospectively evaluated for history of PPD (DSM-IV criteria) and other clinical and socio-demographic features.



Women with a history of PDD (n=139, 24%) were younger, younger at illness onset and had more family history for BD compared to women without history of PPD (n=436, 75.9%). Half of BD-II women reported PPD (50%), compared to less than one-third of BD-I and MDD women (respectively 27.5% and 21.6%) (p=0.004).



Limitations include the retrospective assessment of PPD and no available data about the timing of postpartum episodes, illness onset or psychiatric care before or after childbirth, and the number of postpartum episodes.



BD-II may confer a remarkable risk for PPD, which may be even higher than that of women affected by BD-I disorder. Careful monitoring of BD-II women during the pregnancy and postpartum period, as well as assessment of bipolar features in women with a PPD without a current diagnosis of BD are recommended.
Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: laura.mandelli@unibo.it.
Laura
L
Mandelli
Laboratoire de Psychologie Médicale, Université Libre de Bruxelles, and Centre Européen de Psychologie Médicale-PsyPluriel, Brussels, Belgium.
Daniel
D
Souery
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Lucie
L
Bartova
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Siegfried
S
Kasper
University of London, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
Stuart
S
Montgomery
Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Joseph
J
Zohar
Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
Julien
J
Mendlewicz
Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Alessandro
A
Serretti
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
Bipolar I disorder; Bipolar II disorder; Bipolar disorder; Major depression; Postpartum depression; Women