Cited by 1,155Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumMental Health Treatment and AccessMaternal and Neonatal Healthcare

Epidemiology of maternal depression, risk factors, and child outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries

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Gelaye, Bizu, Rondon, Marta B, Araya, Ricardo, Williams, Michelle A·2016·The Lancet Psychiatry

Abstract

Maternal depression, a non-psychotic depressive episode of mild to major severity, is one of the major contributors of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. Maternal depression (antepartum or post partum) has been linked to negative health-related behaviours and adverse outcomes, including psychological and developmental disturbances in infants, children, and adolescents. Despite its enormous burden, maternal depression in low-income and middle-income countries remains under-recognised and undertreated. In this Series paper, we systematically review studies that focus on the epidemiology of perinatal depression (ie, during antepartum and post-partum periods) among women residing in low-income and middle-income countries. We also summarise evidence for the association of perinatal depression with infant and childhood outcomes. This review is intended to summarise findings from the existing literature, identify important knowledge gaps, and set the research agenda for creating new generalisable knowledge pertinent to increasing our understanding of the prevalence, determinants, and infant and childhood health outcomes associated with perinatal depression. This review is also intended to set the stage for subsequent work aimed at reinforcing and accelerating investments toward providing services to manage maternal depression in low-income and middle-income countries.

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  • Psychological distress among perinatal women correlates with poor infant health outcomes.

    “Psychological distress among perinatal women correlates with increased maternal morbidity and mortality rates (Khalifa et al., 2016; Oates, 2003), poor infant health outcomes (Gelaye et al., 2016), and adverse early childhood developmental trajectories encompassing cognitive, emotional, and developmental delays (Slomian et al., 2019), making it a substantial public health concern.”

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2 of the 197 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

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  1. [40]O'Hara MW Alloy LB Postpartum depression Series in Psychopathology 1995 1 27 Springer-Verlag New York
  2. [109]Da-Silva VA Moraes-Santos AR Carvalho MS Martins MLP Teixeira NA Prenatal and postnatal depression among low income Brazilian women Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 1998 31 799 804 9698826
  3. [138]Dibaba Y Fantahun M Hindin MJ The association of unwanted pregnancy and social support with depressive symptoms in pregnancy: evidence from rural Southwestern Ethiopia BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2013 13 135 PMC3716614 23800160
  4. [171]Gomez-Beloz A Williams MA Sanchez SE Lam N Intimate Partner Violence and Risk for Depression Among Postpartum Women in Lima, Peru Violence and Victims 2009 24 3 380 98 19634363
  5. [191]Wu M Li X Feng B Wu H Qiu C Zhang W Poor sleep quality of third-trimester pregnancy is a risk factor for postpartum depression Med Sci Monit 2014 20 2740 5 25526703 PMC4280053

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Authors
Gelaye, B., Rondon, M. B., Araya, R., & Williams, M. A.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
Corresponding author
Gelaye, Bizu
Venue
The Lancet Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-10
Volume
3
Issue
10
Pages
973-982
ISSN
2215-0366 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2520629525
Cited by
1,155
References
197
Citations by year
2026: 94 · 2025: 151 · 2024: 138 · 2023: 183 · 2022: 152 · 2021: 154 · 2020: 137 · 2019: 68 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 26 · 2012: 1
FWCI
7.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Lancet Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • LSHTM Research Online (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) (acceptedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institutes of Health (R01-HD-059835 and T37-MD000149)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
Keywords
maternal depression, perinatal depression, antenatal depression, postpartum depression, low- and middle-income countries, risk factors, infant outcomes, child outcomes, prevalence, maternal mental health services
MeSH terms
Depressive Disorder, Developing Countries, Female, Humans, Infant, Pregnancy, Risk Factors, Depression, Postpartum, Pregnant People

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