Childbirth is associated with increased risk for depression relative to times of non-childbearing, according to a recent study, which evaluated the association between childbirth and depression in the postpartum period, taking into account the role of stable differences in women's vulnerability for depression across a 10-year span. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 Cohort (n=4,385) were used. Researchers found:

• Modeling trait depression, in addition to state depression, improved model fit and had the effect of increasing the magnitude of the association between childbirth and state depression in the postpartum period.
• There was a consistent small (but statistically significant) effect linking childbirth and depression over a 10-year period with 6 repeated measurements, with a clear association between depression level and time since delivery.
• The findings of this study and many others continue to point to the clinical importance of providing means of identifying women at risk for postpartum depression and providing care for them and their children and families.