A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Turku in Finland has revealed a significant association between hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of nausea during pregnancy, and depression. The findings indicate that women who experience this debilitating condition are at a higher risk of suffering from depression both prior to and following their pregnancies.
Hyperemesis gravidarum affects between 0.3% and 3.6% of pregnancies and is the leading cause of hospitalization during the first trimester. Symptoms include extreme nausea and vomiting, which can prevent individuals from eating and drinking normally, leading to considerable challenges in daily life. Despite its prevalence, the mental health implications of this condition have not been extensively explored.
The study, part of the larger LopuJo initiative led by Professor Päivi Polo, utilized data from over 437,000 Finnish women collected between 2004 and 2017. Results showed that 8.8% of women with severe nausea during pregnancy had a history of depression, compared to just 1.0% in the control group. This statistic suggests that women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum are more than five times more likely to experience depression before pregnancy.
Additionally, the research uncovered that these women are approximately 3.5 times more likely to develop new, previously undiagnosed depression after childbirth. Specifically, 4.9% of those affected were diagnosed with new-onset depression after delivery, whereas only 1.0% of the control group received similar diagnoses. Notably, the timing of depression diagnoses also differed; women with severe nausea were diagnosed with depression an average of 3.3 years after delivery, compared to 4.5 years for their counterparts.
The study posits that there may be shared biological mechanisms between hyperemesis gravidarum and depression. These findings underscore the critical need for systematic psychiatric screening both during and after pregnancy. According to Doctoral Researcher Eeva Terävä-Utti, “Our research shows that severe nausea in pregnancy is not only a physically stressful condition, but also a significant mental health risk factor.”
The study advocates for enhanced collaboration among psychiatry, gynecology, and primary care to improve support for affected individuals. Terävä-Utti emphasizes the importance of raising awareness and increasing access to resources for those experiencing these challenges.
The article detailing this research has been published in The Lancet Psychiatry and represents a pivotal step in understanding the mental health impacts associated with severe nausea during pregnancy.
For further reading, see Eeva Terävä-Utti et al., “Association between hyperemesis gravidarum and depression: a national register-based controlled study in Finland,” The Lancet Psychiatry, DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(25)00271-8.
