ArticleBMJ mental health2025
How common are postpartum depressive thoughts and feelings? Item-level distribution of population-based screening records.
Article in BMJ 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.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Infant social withdrawal with parents and strangers-The role of parental sensitivity and depression.The British journal of developmental psychology · 2026Article
- iCARE Self-Guided Digital Intervention for Postpartum Depression in Danish Mothers: Formative Research Using User-Centered Design.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWhile 17% of new mothers experience symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD), emotional distress is more widespread in the postpartum period. This descriptive study described item-level responses on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to better understand common postpartum experiences.
methodsWe analysed EPDS data from 170 218 childbirths (2015-2021) in the Danish HOPE cohort collected during routine postpartum visits. We described the distribution of responses to each item and total scores.
resultsMost mothers reported mild or no symptoms. Items on self-blame, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed showed large variation. Self-harm thoughts were rare (1.7%). The median total score was 4 (IQR 2-7); 7.8% scored ≥11, indicating possible PPD. DISCUSSION: Diverse emotional responses are common postpartum and often reflect normal adjustment. Item-level insights may help reduce stigma and support open dialogue around maternal mental health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.