Understanding and treating postpartum depression: a narrative review.
Vincenzo Cardaci, Matteo Carminati, Mattia Tondello, Basilio Pecorino, Alessandro Serretti, Raffaella Zanardi
International Clinical Psychopharmacology May 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1097/YIC.0000000000000560 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression |
| Keywords | Postpartum depression ppd Postnatal depression Maternal wellness Behavioral therapy Reproductive health Scientific research |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | Postpartum depression is increasingly understood as at least partially independent from major depressive disorder, with specific treatments including neurosteroids and other therapies being introduced into clinical practice. |
Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is an increasingly prevalent but still poorly characterized disorder. Causal and modulating factors include hormones fluctuations, such as estrogen, progesterone, and allopregnolone, pathways imbalances, such as oxytocin and kynurenine, chronobiological factors, and brain imaging alterations. Treatment may differ from the traditional major depression management, while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as sertraline are commonly used and suggested by guidelines, neurosteroids such as brexanolone and the more convenient zuranolone have been recently approved. Newer neurosteroids such as ganaxolone, valaxanolone, and lysaxanolone are currently under development, but also esketamine and psychedelics are promising potential treatments. Other somatic treatments including brain stimulation techniques and light therapy also showed benefit. PPD is therefore increasingly understood as, at least partially, independent from major depressive disorder. Specific and individualized treatments including pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies are progressively being introduced in the routine clinical practice.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synaptic Dysfunction in Depression: Potential Therapeutic Targets | 2012 | Review | |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse | 2003 | Review | |
| Synthesizing the Evidence for Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: An International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation Adults with treatment-resistant depression | 2021 | Review | |
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 11
- NMDAR inhibition-independent antidepressant actions of ketamine metabolites Nature April 24, 2016
- Mechanisms of Ketamine Action as an Antidepressant Molecular Psychiatry March 13, 2018
- Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern‐era clinical studies Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica October 30, 2020
- Classic serotonergic psychedelics for mood and depressive symptoms: a meta-analysis of mood disorder patients and healthy participants Psychopharmacology January 11, 2021
- Clinical specificity profile for novel rapid acting antidepressant drugs. International Clinical Psychopharmacology September 1, 2023
and 6 more in the library