Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39873833›Full record

SynthesisArchives of women's mental health2025

The prevalence of postpartum depression among women with physical disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Blaire C Pingeton, Bryn Evohr, Sherryl H Goodman

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Archives of women's mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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

3 authors.

Blaire C PingetonInstitute for Innovations in Developmental Science, Department of Medical and Social Sciences, Northwestern University, 625 N Michigan Ave, Floor 24, Chicago, 60611, IL, USA. blaire.pingeton@northwestern.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4855-2077
Bryn EvohrDepartment of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Sherryl H GoodmanDepartment of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Funding

Northwestern University Mental Health, Earlier: Transdiagnostic, Transdisciplinary, Translational Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms of PsychopathologyT32MH126368 · NIMH · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI SHANKMAN, STEWART AARON, WAKSCHLAG, LAUREN S · 2021 to 2025
$1.4M
NIMH NIH HHS 5T32MH126368-03NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH126368
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePregnant and postpartum mothers with physical disabilities face discrimination in healthcare settings and high rates of maternal and obstetric complications, as well as having higher rates of lifetime depression prior to pregnancy, potentially increasing their likelihood of experiencing postpartum depression (PPD). Some studies have found higher rates of PPD in mothers with physical disabilities than in mothers without physical disabilities, with more disabling symptoms associated with worse PPD systems; however, the literature is sparse and heterogenous. This systematic review and meta-analysis advanced this area of study by evaluating the strength of the association between PPD and physical disability.

methodsWe searched PubMed and PsycInfo, with the primary inclusion criteria being that the studies had an established measure of depression in women during the postpartum period and either a cohort identified as having physical disability or an established measure of physical disability in a general population sample. We aggregated the prevalence of PPD in women with physical disabilities and tested the robustness of our findings to moderators, including region, sample population, and measure type.

resultsFindings from our quantitative meta-analysis (n=14) demonstrated a strong (d=.76, p<.0001) association between PPD and physical disabilities, such that individuals with physical disabilities reported more depression symptoms than individuals without physical disabilities. Moderator analyses were null, revealing that the association between PPD and physical disabilities was robust to several variables. Qualitative results support our conclusion that individuals with physical disabilities are at increased risk of PPD symptoms.

conclusionOur findings of a strong association between physical disability and PPD support the need for more research. Additional studies would 1) augment a nuanced understanding of how best to conceptualize PPD in women with physical disabilities and 2) facilitate testing the robustness of the association between PPD and physical disabilities to additional important moderators.

Indexed as

Depression, PostpartumMothersPersons with DisabilitiesAdultFemaleHumansPregnancyPrevalenceMeta-analysisPhysical disabilitiesPostpartum depressionSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID39873833
PMCPMC12286748

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.