Causal model of the association of social support during pregnancy with a perinatal and postpartum depressive state: A nationwide birth cohort - the Japan Environment and Children's Study

Kenta Matsumura; Kei Hamazaki; Akiko Tsuchida; Haruka Kasamatsu; Hidekuni Inadera; Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) Group

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.117

Causal model of the association of social support during pregnancy with a perinatal and postpartum depressive state: A nationwide birth cohort - the Japan Environment and Children's Study

J Affect Disord. 2022 Mar 1:300:540-550. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.117. Epub 2022 Jan 1.

Authors

Kenta Matsumura¹, Kei Hamazaki², Akiko Tsuchida³, Haruka Kasamatsu⁴, Hidekuni Inadera³; Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) Group

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, Japan; Toyama Regional Center for JECS, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan. Electronic address: kmatsumu@med.u-toyama.ac.jp.
² Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, Japan; Toyama Regional Center for JECS, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan; Department of Public Health, Gunma University Graduate school of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
³ Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, Japan; Toyama Regional Center for JECS, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
⁴ Toyama Regional Center for JECS, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.

PMID: 34979183
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.117

Abstract

Background: Despite many epidemiological studies on the relationship between social support during pregnancy and perinatal/postpartum depression, its impact remains unclear. Therefore, this study examined this association using a causal model of risk based on various levels of social support.

Methods: Participants were 88,711 mothers in an ongoing nationwide birth cohort study in Japan. Social support during pregnancy was set at four treatment levels. Depressive state was identified twice, with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6; score ≥ 5) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; score ≥ 9). With the highest level of social support set as reference, marginal structural models were fitted to derive counterfactual risk ratios (cRRs).

Results: cRRs (95% CIs) for EPDS cases increased as the level of social support decreased, with values of 1.06 (0.99-1.13) for upper-middle, 1.30 (1.23-1.39) for lower-middle, and 1.61 (1.52-1.71) for low. Also, cRRs (95% CIs) at the second measurement (interaction) tended to increase as social support decreased, with values of 1.05 (0.97-1.13) for upper-middle, 1.05 (0.98-1.13) for lower-middle, and 1.10 (1.03-1.18) for low. The same tendency was observed in K6 cases.

Limitation: Depressive state was identified by self-administered questionnaire.

Conclusions: Lower social support during pregnancy is associated with increased counterfactual risk of perinatal/postpartum depressive state and worsened counterfactual spontaneous recovery over time. These findings highlight the importance of sufficient social support for preventing perinatal/postpartum depression and promoting recovery.

Trial registration: UMIN000030786.

Keywords: Causal inference; Emotional support; Inverse probability of treatment weighting; Longitudinal study; Perinatal depression; Postpartum depression.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Birth Cohort
Child
Cohort Studies
Depression, Postpartum* / epidemiology
Depression, Postpartum* / psychology
Female
Humans
Japan / epidemiology
Postpartum Period / psychology
Pregnancy
Social Support

Associated data

UMIN-CTR/UMIN000030786