Clinique et épidémiologie des troubles anxieux et dépressifs de la grossesse et du post-partum. Revue et synthèse

The aim of this article is to review clinical and epidemiological data on pre- and postnatal anxious and depressive disorders. To this end, we systematically analysed definitions, prevalence, risk factors and obstetrical consequences of perinatal disorders, as reported in seminal as well as more recent publications. We report and discuss the most consensual results about anxious and depressive disorders of pregnancy and the postpartum, with special emphasis on maternity blues, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. Reviewed data confirm that the perinatal period is a time of high risk for the onset or exacerbation of several anxious or depressive disorders, which are likely to impede the normal progress of pregnancy or the child's development. The potential severity of bipolar disorders and puerperal psychosis is highlighted by the fact that they heavily contribute to maternal mortality. The specificity of perinatal disorders, their impact on public health, the extensive research and mounting knowledge in that field, provide ample justification for the recognition of perinatal psychiatry as a distinct branch of psychiatry.