Long-term consequences of postpartum depression on maternal psychological health and mother-child bonding: A community-based cohort study.
- 1Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
- 2Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
- 3Department of Neonatology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Abstract
Background
Motherhood, although perceived as a fulfilling period, is accompanied by abrupt transitions in familial and social roles, driven by physiological and psychological changes associated with hormonal fluctuations and increased caregiving responsibilities.Aim
This study aimed to assess the long-term consequences of postpartum depression on mother-child dyads.Methods
In the community-based cohort study, 290 postpartum mothers were followed for 6 months to 5 years. Persistent depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and confirmed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition diagnostic criteria. Maternal suicidality risk was measured using the Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised. Mother-child bonding was evaluated using the Mother-Infant Bonding Questionnaire. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and a P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results
29% of mothers with postpartum depression (PPD) were found to have chronic or persistent depression, and 12.9% had a high risk of suicidality. A significant association was found between PPD and persistent depression (OR = 4.74, 95% CI: 1.16-20.11, P value < 0.032). The mothers with PPD had a 16.74 times higher chance of developing increased suicidality (P value < 0.001). Among the mothers with PPD, 69.4% had poor mother-child bonding. The mothers with PPD were found to have 4.52 times (CI: 1.80-11.31, P value 0.001) higher chance of developing poor mother-child bonding in the multivariable analysis.Conclusion
Maternal PPD exerts a substantial long-term impact on both maternal psychological wellbeing and mother-child bonding. These findings underscore the need to incorporate early screening and intervention protocols for PPD within the National Mental Health Programme to mitigate long-term adverse outcomes for the mother-child dyad.
Related
- Maternal bonding difficulties and postpartum depression in pediatric clinical practice: a longitudinal study in a Japanese cohort
- Barriers to Psychological Help‐Seeking in Postpartum Women With Depression, Anxiety, or Comorbid Conditions: A Qualitative Exploration
- Trajectories of perinatal depression, anxiety, perceived stress, sleep quality, and psychological flexibility from pregnancy to six months postpartum and their relationship with the number of abortions and deliveries
- Maternal Anxiety and Depression From Pregnancy to Postpartum: Associations With Infants' Cortical Functional Connectivity at 1 Month
- Admission to the kangaroo mother care ward and maternal postpartum depression in Lusaka, Zambia: a randomised controlled trial study protocol
BibTeX
@article{roy2026longterm,
title = {{Long-term consequences of postpartum depression on maternal psychological health and mother-child bonding: A community-based cohort study.}},
author = {Payel Roy and Sonu H Subba and Arpit Parmar and Pankaj K Mohanty and Arvind K Singh and Binod K Behera and Priyamadhaba Behera and Prajna P Giri},
journal = {Indian journal of psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.4103/indianjpsychiatry_1095_25},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43011904},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Long-term consequences of postpartum depression on maternal psychological health and mother-child bonding: A community-based cohort study.
AU - Payel Roy
AU - Sonu H Subba
AU - Arpit Parmar
AU - Pankaj K Mohanty
AU - Arvind K Singh
AU - Binod K Behera
AU - Priyamadhaba Behera
AU - Prajna P Giri
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Indian journal of psychiatry
DO - 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry_1095_25
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43011904
AB - Background Motherhood, although perceived as a fulfilling period, is accompanied by abrupt transitions in familial and social roles, driven by physiological and psychological changes associated with hormonal fluctuations and increased caregiving responsibilities.Aim This study aimed to assess the long-term consequences of postpartum depression on mother-child dyads.Methods In the community-based cohort study, 290 postpartum mothers were followed for 6 months to 5 years. Persistent depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and confirmed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition diagnostic criteria. Maternal suicidality risk was measured using the Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised. Mother-child bonding was evaluated using the Mother-Infant Bonding Questionnaire. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and a P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results 29% of mothers with postpartum depression (PPD) were found to have chronic or persistent depression, and 12.9% had a high risk of suicidality. A significant association was found between PPD and persistent depression (OR = 4.74, 95% CI: 1.16-20.11, P value < 0.032). The mothers with PPD had a 16.74 times higher chance of developing increased suicidality (P value < 0.001). Among the mothers with PPD, 69.4% had poor mother-child bonding. The mothers with PPD were found to have 4.52 times (CI: 1.80-11.31, P value 0.001) higher chance of developing poor mother-child bonding in the multivariable analysis.Conclusion Maternal PPD exerts a substantial long-term impact on both maternal psychological wellbeing and mother-child bonding. These findings underscore the need to incorporate early screening and intervention protocols for PPD within the National Mental Health Programme to mitigate long-term adverse outcomes for the mother-child dyad.
SN - 0019-5545
SN - 1998-3794
ER -