Antecedent Trauma Exposure and Risk of Depression in the Perinatal Period

Abstract

Antecedent trauma significantly increases the risk of antenatal depression, but antenatal depression alone does not appear to predict postpartum depression. Routine screening for trauma exposure and depression is warranted during pregnancy to aid in the early detection and treatment of depression. Future studies need to examine mechanisms that may trigger affective episodes in trauma-exposed women, who may be especially vulnerable to depressive episodes during pregnancy.