Depression linked to preemies. Why?

November 4, 2008

Depression symptoms early in pregnancy foreshadow preterm delivery

Among nearly 800 pregnant women in a study from California’s Kaiser Permanente program, those who experienced depressive symptoms early in their pregnancies were more likely to deliver preterm babies. The report is published early online in the journal Human Reproduction.

The likelihood of preterm delivery was exacerbated by:

* obesity
* lower education levels and
* a history of fertility problems

This echoes a smaller prospective study published last year. UCLA researchers found the same phenomenon, but they linked it to the medication rather than to the symptoms.

Enter “pregnancy depression” in the search box, and scroll down the page. You’ll see another new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggesting that this is fundamentally a circadian rhythm problem, which might be solved by a benign strategy: light therapy.

Psychiatric Times

Which antidepressants are safest in pregnancy? Find the answer in a recent review in Psychiatric Times by clicking on the dedicated link in the left column that searches this publication only.

Complementary Medicine

How about starting with the alternative remedy St. John’s wort? A search on “St. John’s wort pregnancy” in this category reveals that the herbal treatment for depression may not be innocuous to the fetus

No Comments » | Alternative Medicine, Depression, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Women | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
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Do Antidepressants Avert Suicide?

July 12, 2007

More fuel for the debate over the FDA black box warning about SSRIs: Two different large observational studies now suggest that antidepressants deter people from attempting suicide, rather than provoking it. An analysis of insurance claims from Group Health Cooperative in Washington state showed depressed patients are at most risk of suicide during the month before treatment, with risk declining afterwards. This was just as true for psychotherapy as for antidepressant medications.

A second study, analyzing records from the Veterans Administration, also showed large reductions in suicide attempts after treatment began.

An editorial in the same issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry urges doctors to reconsider their antidepressants as a way to prevent suicide, not a cause. The consequences of not prescribing them may be fatal, warns the author—especially for adolescents.

Refine your results into clinically useful categories:

Evidence-based Medicine and Meta-analysis
How effective is psychotherapy in preventing suicide?

Patient Education Materials
What can you safely tell the parents of depressed adolescents about medication and suicide risk?

Practical Articles and News
What can you do to protect yourself from malpractice liability in the case of a suicidal patient?

No Comments » | Depression | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Cranky Aged Mama