Launch of the INSIGHT-PPD study
Postpartum depression is one of the most frequent complications of pregnancy, affecting approximately 17% of women, and it can have serious consequences for both the mother and her child. This condition is highly multifactorial, and only a limited number of its risk factors are modifiable.
Using data from the 2021 French National Perinatal Survey, we previously showed that in France, one quarter of women reported having experienced words, gestures, or behaviors from healthcare professionals that shocked, hurt, or made them feel uncomfortable during childbirth or their stay in the maternity ward. These women had a 1.4-fold higher risk of presenting postpartum depression symptoms at two months postpartum. However, these data do not allow for a precise characterization of women’s experiences.
The INSIGHT-PPD study will therefore aim to understand, from the perspective of women who experienced postpartum depression, their childbirth experience. Among those who experienced disrespectful care, the study will identify the most frequently reported behaviors and the terms women use to describe what they experienced.
This project will rely on the ComPaRe collaborative online cohort (AP-HP, Université Paris Cité), and more specifically on its ComPaRe Depression sub-cohort, launched in 2023, which is open to all individuals who have experienced or are currently experiencing depression. For the INSIGHT-PPD study, women enrolled in the ComPaRe Depression cohort who have experienced perinatal depression will be invited to complete a specific questionnaire on their experience of care during childbirth and their maternity ward stay, using standardized questions. Those who wish will also be able to participate in a qualitative component consisting of an interview with a sociologist specializing in these issues. This study was co-designed with representatives of care users from CIANE and Maman Blues.
INSIGHT-PPD will thus make it possible to identify the inappropriate behaviors of healthcare professionals most frequently experienced by women who subsequently developed depression. These behaviors will constitute priority targets for the development of new, concrete interventions aimed at reducing disrespectful care in maternity settings and contributing to the preservation of women’s postpartum mental health.
→ Did you give birth in France within the past 5 years and experience postpartum depression? Take part in this study conducted within the ComPaRe community: https://compare.aphp.fr/je-participe/. Please complete the inclusion questionnaires by indicating that you experienced depression in the context of welcoming a young child and agree to participate in additional questionnaires.
The study-specific questionnaire will be sent to eligible participants few days after enrollment.
Marianne Jacques and Astrid Chevance
marianne.jacques@inserm.fr
