It is widely known that depression is often connected with pregnancy – both during pregnancy and after pregnancy. It is also known that many women develop gestational diabetes when they are pregnant. When looking at all of these conditions together – pregnancy, diabetes and depression – there are many reasons for concern regarding what any or all of these conditions can do to a woman’s body and her unborn child.
A study of 11,000 low income pregnant woman revealed that low income women with diabetes who are pregnant or recently gave birth have twice the risk of getting depression as opposed to women who do not have diabetes. The study showed that it didn’t matter whether the women developed diabetes before or during pregnancy, or if they were taking insulin or oral medications. The risk of depression was still much stronger for women with diabetes.
“Those with diabetes have nearly twice the risk of depression during pregnancy and post-partum,” said the study’s lead author, Katy Backes Kozhimannil, a research fellow in the department of ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard Medical School in Boston. She added that women who’d never been depressed before appeared to be at risk, too. “One in 10 women who had no indication of prior depression received a diagnosis of depression within a year following delivery,” she said.
The study did not look at the reasons for the connection, but Kozhimannil said there are biological changes that occur with diabetes that might increase the risk of depression. She also said the stress of managing a chronic illness might contribute to the risk of depression. In addition, the hormone changes that come with pregnancy are also a factor.
“Health-care facilities need to pay particular attention for depression in women with diabetes during the post-partum period,” said Kozhimannil. “Both diabetes and depression in the post-partum period are treatable.”
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