Perinatal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) describes PTSD episodes occurring during, and one year postpartum.
In the April Perinatal Mental Health and Well-Being issue, Stephanie Hall of the University of Michigan and colleagues examine trends in perinatal posttraumatic stress disorder among commercially insured delivering people in the US between 2008–20.
The researchers find that during the study period, the prevalence of perinatal PTSD diagnoses increased 394 percent.
By 2020, delivering people with perinatal PTSD diagnoses were more likely to be members of racial/ethnic minority groups and had lower incomes than those delivering people with diagnoses in 2008.
Across all time points, however, White people had the highest diagnosis rates.
The authors call for appropriate screening, diagnosis, and treatment for delivering people with PTSD.
Outside of this study, Stephanie Hall also contributed a video abstract from a paper exploring how antidepressant prescriptions increased for the privately insured with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
