Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33162848›Full record

ReviewFocus (American Psychiatric Publishing)2020

Is Postpartum Depression Different From Depression Occurring Outside of the Perinatal Period? A Review of the Evidence.

Melissa M Batt, Korrina A Duffy, Andrew M Novick, Christina A Metcalf, C Neill Epperson

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 80 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
80citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

80 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  10. Time-varying restless legs syndrome and risk of incident perinatal depression.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2026
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20 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Melissa M BattDepartment of Psychiatry (all authors) and Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center (Batt), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora.
Korrina A DuffyDepartment of Psychiatry (all authors) and Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center (Batt), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora.
Andrew M NovickDepartment of Psychiatry (all authors) and Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center (Batt), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora.
Christina A MetcalfDepartment of Psychiatry (all authors) and Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center (Batt), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora.
C Neill EppersonDepartment of Psychiatry (all authors) and Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center (Batt), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora.

Funding

Suppression of ERalpha in Hematopoietic Stem Cell-Derived Adipocytes Increases Adiposity via Kynurenine and the Aryl Hydrocarbon ReceptorU54AG062319 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI Wendy M Kohrt · 2018 to 2026
$13.5M
Development of Psychopathology, Psychobiology, & BehaviorT32MH015442 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI JASON R TREGELLAS · 1985 to 2026
$10.2M
NIA NIH HHS U54 AG062319NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH015442
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Whether a major depressive episode occurring in the postpartum period (i.e., postpartum depression [PPD]) is sufficiently distinct from major depressive episodes occurring at other times (i.e., major depressive disorder) to warrant a separate diagnosis is a point of debate with substantial clinical significance. The evidence for and against diagnostic distinction for PPD is reviewed with respect to epidemiology, etiology, and treatment. Overall, evidence that PPD is distinct from major depressive disorder is mixed and is largely affected by how the postpartum period is defined. For depression occurring in the early postpartum period (variably defined, but typically with onset in the first 8 weeks), symptom severity, heritability, and epigenetic data suggest that PPD may be distinct, whereas depression occurring in the later postpartum period may be more similar to major depressive disorder occurring outside of the perinatal period. The clinical significance of this debate is considerable given that PPD, the most common complication of childbirth, is associated with immediate and enduring adverse effects on maternal and offspring morbidity and mortality. Future research investigating the distinctiveness of PPD from major depressive disorder in general should focus on the early postpartum period when the rapid decline in hormones contributes to a withdrawal state, requiring profound adjustments in central nervous system function.

Indexed as

epidemiologyetiologymajor depressive disorderpostpartum depressiontreatment

Identifiers

PMID33162848
PMCPMC7587887

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.