ReviewPeripartum depression and anxiety as an integrative cross domain target for psychiatric preventative measures

- Cross-domain postpartum depression and anxiety studies may identify novel preventative measures for psychiatric disorders.
- The study of several psychiatric disorders will benefit from ethologically relevant cross domain animal studies.
- Longitudinal cross domain clinical studies are also needed to identify novel preventative measures.
- Increased communication between clinicians and animal researchers in the development of cross domain studies is needed.

Exposure to high levels of early life stress has been identified as a potent risk factor for neurodevelopmental delays in infants, behavioral problems and autism in children, but also for several psychiatric illnesses in adulthood, such as depression, anxiety, autism, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite having robust adverse effects on both mother and infant, the pathophysiology of peripartum depression and anxiety are poorly understood. The objective of this review is to highlight the advantages of using an integrated approach addressing several behavioral domains in both animal and clinical studies of peripartum depression and anxiety. It is postulated that a greater focus on integrated cross domain studies will lead to advances in treatments and preventative measures for several disorders associated with peripartum depression and anxiety.