Suicidal ideation in the postpartum period: A population-based study of prevalence and risk factors using data from two national maternity surveys in England.
Despotis A., Harrison S., Quigley MA., Alderdice F., Fellmeth G.
BACKGROUND: Suicide is an important cause of maternal mortality. We estimated the prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) in women six months postpartum, identified factors associated with SI, and assessed whether SI occurred in women without depression. METHODS: Analysis used data from national maternity surveys from 2018 and 2020 in England. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) measured depression symptoms and SI. Weighted SI prevalence estimates were calculated. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) estimated the association between risk factors and SI. The prevalence of possible (EPDS 10-12) and probable (EPDS≥13) depression among women with SI was calculated. FINDINGS: Among 8037 women, SI prevalence was 3.1 % in 2018 and 4.8 % in 2020 (difference: +1.8 %; 95 % CI: 0.7-2.9; p = 0.002). Risk factors for SI were maternal age