Adult Depression Risk Higher If Mother Was Depressed While Pregnant

People born to mothers who are depressed during pregnancy are up to three times more likely to have depression in later life and up to twice as likely to have experienced child maltreatment, primarily at the hands of peers and other adults in the home, according to new research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London.

Depression in pregnancy is much more common than previously thought, with approximately one in 12 pregnant women suffering from clinically significant levels of depression. Although previous research has documented a link between depression during pregnancy and depression in adolescent offspring, this is the first study to examine the association in adulthood.

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