As well as the debilitating impact on the mother, PND is associated with a range of negative child outcomes, including impaired cognitive development, behavioural issues and insecure attachment. These issues have been shown to persist in to adolescence.
Given the impact on mother and child, and estimated related economic costs of £8.1bn per year in the UK, there is a strong imperative to act to tackle the effects of perinatal mental disorders.
Stein and colleagues' study explores the limitations of much of the research into treatment for PND and its impact on children. They point out that the impact of PND on child development is most pronounced when the depression persists beyond the first few months, but that most research relates to relatively brief forms of interventions in the early post-natal period, rather than more intensive and long-term therapies.
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