ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2026
Patterns of antidepressant prescribing around pregnancy: a descriptive analysis using Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes: Analysis From the UK, Norway, and Sweden.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2026Article
- Authorship inflation in general practice research: unanswered questions to address?The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
- First trimester antidepressant use and miscarriage: a population-based cohort study using Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025Article
- Antidepressants Use Among Pregnant Women in Denmark From 2001 to 2023: A Population-Level Drug Utilization Study.Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology · 2025Article
- Making decisions about antidepressant use during pregnancy: a qualitative interview study of a sample of women in the UK.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025Article
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10 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundAntidepressant use is increasing during pregnancy but estimates of prevalence and patterns of prescribing are outdated.
aimTo describe the prevalence and patterns of antidepressant prescribing in and around pregnancy. DESIGN AND
settingThis was a drug utilisation study using the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD Pregnancy Register.
methodUsing primary care prescription records, individuals were identified who had been prescribed antidepressants in and around pregnancy between 1996 and 2018 and the prevalence of prescribing during pregnancy over time was described. Those with 'prevalent' or 'incident' antidepressant use were defined, where the 'prevalent' group contained individuals who were prescribed antidepressants both before and during pregnancy, whereas individuals in the 'incident' group were newly prescribed antidepressants during pregnancy. Patterns of prescribing were then qualitatively compared between these two groups. The study also investigated post-pregnancy prescribing, as well as characteristics associated with antidepressant discontinuation anytime during pregnancy.
resultsA total of 1 033 783 pregnancies were eligible: 79 144/1 033 783 (7.7%) individuals were prescribed antidepressants during pregnancy and 15 733/79 144 (19.9%) were in the 'incident' group. Antidepressant prescribing during pregnancy increased from 3.2% (556/17 653) in 1996 to 13.4% (3889/29 079) in 2018. Most women, both those whose antidepressants were 'prevalent' and 'incident' prescribed, discontinued their medication anytime during pregnancy (54.9% [34 801/63 411] and 59.9% [9427/15 733], respectively). Over half of those who discontinued during pregnancy were prescribed antidepressants in the 12 months after pregnancy (53.0%, 23 457/44 228). Younger age, previous stillbirth, and higher deprivation were associated with more frequent discontinuation anytime during pregnancy.
conclusionAntidepressant prescribing during pregnancy has been increasing in the UK. Over half of the sample discontinued antidepressants at some point before the end of pregnancy, but post-pregnancy resumption of antidepressants was common. The results presented here highlight the benefit of counselling women when initiating antidepressants to support informed decision making.
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