The study protocol: Neuroendocrinology and (epi-) genetics of female reproductive transition phase mood disorder - an ob
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(2020) 20:609
STUDY PROTOCOL
Open Access
The study protocol: Neuroendocrinology and (epi-) genetics of female reproductive transition phase mood disorder - an observational, longitudinal study from pregnancy to postpartum Alexandra Johann1,2 and Ulrike Ehlert1*
Abstract Background: Postpartum depression is considered to be one of the most common health threats during pregnancy and postpartum, affecting not only the woman herself but also the offspring and the whole family system. Evidence for a conclusive etiopathological model with distinct risk and resilience factors is still broadly lacking. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate numerous health-related markers to obtain greater insight into which biopsychosocial profiles render women more vulnerable to PPD or facilitate a healthy transition from pregnancy to postpartum. Methods: The observational, longitudinal study aims to include a total of 288 physically healthy women, aged 20–45 years. A multitude of relevant parameters, of an (epi-) genetic, endocrinological, physiological and psychological nature, will be assessed over a period of 5 months, following the participants from the 3rd trimester until three months postpartum. Discussion: The ultimate goal of the present study is to ameliorate mental health care during pregnancy and postpartum, by gaining a better understanding of the underlying biopsychosocial mechanisms that women undergo during the transition from pregnancy to postpartum. Keywords: Pregnancy, Postpartum, Stress, Depression, Steroid hormones, Psychophysiology
Background Depression is projected to become the leading contributor to the global burden of disease worldwide by 2030 [1]. It causes severe impairments to quality of life, and the adverse effects often extend to the whole family system of the affected individual [2]. For instance, maternal
depression is associated with unfavorable neonatal birth outcomes, and the offspring can show an up to threefold increased risk of developing a depressive disorder throughout later life [3, 4]. It is well known that women’s lifetime risk of suffering from major depression is twice as high as that of men [5]. This sex difference emerges during early adolescence and leads to a lifetime prevalence of 16.5–21.7% for women in the US and Europe, compared to 8.9–12.7% for men [6, 7].
* Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons l
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