Forum on Child and Family StatisticsMaternal Postpartum Depressive Symptoms
Women with postpartum depressive symptoms are at increased risk for postpartum depression and require further evaluation to determine whether they meet the criteria for having a depressive disorder.15 Postpartum depression is associated with lower rates of breastfeeding initiation, poorer maternal and infant bonding, and increased likelihood of infants showing developmental delays.16 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly encourages providers to screen for depression among pregnant and postpartum women,17 and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends integrating routine screening for maternal postpartum depression into well-child visits.18 Women with current depression or a history of major depression warrant particularly close monitoring and evaluation. If left untreated, postpartum depression can adversely affect the mother's health and might cause sleeping, eating, and behavioral problems for the infant; when effectively treated and managed, both mother and child benefit.18
Figure 10: Prevalence of self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms among women with a recent live birth by race and Hispanic origin, age, and household poverty status, 2021
NOTE: AI/AN = American Indian or Alaska Native; NH = non-Hispanic origin; NHOPI = Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms are ascertained by categorizing five responses ("always," "often," "sometimes," "rarely," and "never") from the following two questions adapted from the validated Patient Health Questionnaire-2 screening instrument: 1) "Since your new baby was born, how often have you felt down, depressed, or hopeless?" and 2) "Since your new baby was born, how often have you had little interest or little pleasure in doing things?" Women responding "always" or "often" to either question are classified as experiencing postpartum depressive symptoms. Women classified as not having symptoms must answer "sometimes," "rarely," or "never" to both questions. Race and Hispanic origin refer to the mother's race and Hispanic origin. The 1997 U.S. Office of Management and Budget standards for data on race and ethnicity were used to classify people into one of the following five racial groups: White, Black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. All categories are single race. Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected and reported separately. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Household poverty status is based on a definition of federal poverty level that incorporates information on family income, size, and composition and is calculated as a percentage of the U.S. Census Bureau's federal poverty thresholds.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS); Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey (OPAS); California Department of Public Health, Maternal and Infant Health Assessment (MIHA).
- In 2021, 13.3% of women with a recent live birth self-reported experiencing postpartum depressive symptoms.
- In 2021, the highest rates of postpartum depressive symptoms were experienced by Asian, non-Hispanic women (19.1%) and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic women (24.2%). The lowest rates were reported by Hispanic and White, non-Hispanic women (11.9% and 12.2%, respectively).
- In 2021, women age 19 and under experienced more than twice the rate of postpartum depressive symptoms compared with women age 35 and over (20.4% vs. 10.1%).
- In 2021, women below 100% of the federal poverty level experienced more than twice the rate of postpartum depressive symptoms compared with women at 400% of the federal poverty level and above (18.3% vs. 7.9%).
15 O'Connor, E., Rossom, R.C., Henninger, M., Groom, H.C., & Burda, B.U. (2016) Primary care screening for and treatment of depression in pregnant and postpartum women: Evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Journal of the American Medical Association, 315, 388–406. CrossRefexternal icon
16 Slomian, J., Honvo, G., Emonts, P., Reginster, J.Y., & Bruyère, O. (2019) Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes. Women's Health, 15(1). CrossRefexternal icon
17 ACOG committee opinion no. 757: Screening for perinatal depression. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2018;132, 208–12. CrossRefexternal icon
18 Earls, M.F., Yogman, M.W., Mattson, G., Rafferty, J., Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, Baum, R., Gambon, T., Lavin, A., & Wissow, L. (2019) Incorporating recognition and management of perinatal depression into pediatric practice. Pediatrics, 143(1), e20183259.
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
