Epidemiology and prevalence

Perinatal depression is one of the most common and least diagnosed mental health conditions in women of reproductive age. Globally, it is estimated that at least 1 in 5 women experience a depressive or anxiety disorder during the perinatal period, which ranges from pregnancy to the first year after childbirth.

This prevalence makes perinatal depression a public health problem with consequences not only for the mother, but also for the physical, emotional, and cognitive development of the newborn, as well as for the family economy and health systems. During pregnancy, studies show that between 10% and 16% of women experience major depression at some point.

However, when subclinical symptoms or mild depressive episodes are considered, this percentage can increase significantly, reaching up to 70% of women who report transient depressive symptoms.

These figures reflect an urgent need to improve detection and follow-up strategies during prenatal and postnatal care. The situation is exacerbated in low- and middle-income countries, where structural and contextual factors significantly increase mothers' vulnerability. While in high-income countries the prevalence of postpartum depression ranges from 10% to 15%, in lower-income regions it can reach 22% and even 26% in adolescent mothers.

This percentage rises to 30% in women with a history of depression and up to 52% in those with a history of bipolar disorder, highlighting the seriousness of the problem in at-risk populations.

Factors that increase incidence: adolescence, psychiatric history, socioeconomic conditions

Numerous individual, social, and clinical factors influence the onset of perinatal depression. Among the main risk factors are:

• Adolescence: Ser madre a una edad temprana conlleva mayores niveles de estrés, inmadurez emocional y en muchos casos, ausencia de una red de apoyo estable. Esto eleva considerablemente la incidencia de síntomas depresivos, agravados por el aislamiento o la presión social.

• Personal or family history of mental illness: Las mujeres con historia previa de depresión, trastornos de ansiedad o trastornos bipolares presentan una mayor probabilidad de recaída durante el embarazo o el puerperio. Se estima que hasta el 50% de las mujeres que han tenido un episodio depresivo en el pasado pueden volver a experimentarlo en el embarazo.

• Socioeconomic conditions: