Depressed pregnant women not treated

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The majority of U.S. pregnant women who have full-blown major depression aren't getting any treatment for the condition, find Michigan researchers.

Not only are pregnant women with full-blown major depression not getting any treatment, neither are most pregnant women who have signs of milder depression or depression risk, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Depression Center.

Without adequate treatment -- medication, talk therapy, or both -- prenatal and post-partum depression can seriously impact both women and their babies, says study leader Heather Flynn, a psychologist.

The study surveyed 1,837 pregnant women and 276 met the criteria for being at risk of depression and 17 percent of the 276 women were found to be experiencing a serious depression. Another 23 percent had a history of major depression.

Of those who were experiencing major depression at the time of the study, only 33 percent were receiving any treatment for it and of the 276 women with high depression risk, only 20 percent were receiving treatment, despite the fact that many had a history of depression, according to the study published in the General Hospital Psychiatry.