Twin pregnancy is a risk factor for postpartum depression and anxiety. Whether this translates into a higher risk of severe maternal mental illness in the short-term or long-term is unknown. This study was a population-based retrospective cohort study, using linked health administrative databases for the entire province of Ontario, Canada. Included were primiparas aged 15\u201350 years with a twin vs. singleton hospital livebirth, between January 1, 2003, and March 31, 2019. Propensity-score inverse probability of treatment weights accounted for potential confounding. The primary outcome of severe mental illness comprised a composite of an emergency department visit or hospitalization for mental illness or self-injury, or death by suicide, assessed in the first year after birth, and in long-term follow-up, up to 17 years thereafter. Fifteen thousand twenty-four twin and 796,804 (15,022 weighted) singleton births were included, with a mean (IQR) duration of follow-up of 9 (5\u201313) years. After weighting, the mean (SD) maternal age was 31.3 (5.5) years. In the first 365 days postpartum, severe mental illness occurred at rates of 10.5 and 8.7 per 1000 person-years in twin and singleton mothers, respectively, corresponding to a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.21 (95% CI 1.07\u20131.47). From 366 days onward, the corresponding figures were 5.9 and 6.1 per 1000 person-years (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.89\u20131.04). Individuals with a twin birth appear to experience an increased risk for severe mental illness in the first year postpartum, but not thereafter. This suggests a potential need for targeted counselling and mental health services for mothers within the first year after birth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Twin pregnancy is a risk factor for postpartum depression and anxiety. Whether this translates into a higher risk of severe maternal mental illness in the short-term or long-term is unknown. This study was a population-based retrospective cohort study, using linked health administrative databases for the entire province of Ontario, Canada. Included were primiparas aged 15\u201350 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","migration-helper-automated":[],"migration-manual":[],"topic":[26,34],"migration-helper-qa-sample-set":[],"class_list":["post-4101","journal_article","type-journal_article","status-publish","hentry","topic-maternity-and-neonatal-care","topic-mental-health-and-addictions"],"acf":{"citation":"Lapinsky SC, Ray JG, Brown HK, Murphy KE, Kaster TS, Vigod SN. Arch Womens Ment Health<\/em>. 2023; 26(1):57-66. Epub 2023 Jan 11.","source_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00737-023-01291-7","ices_scientist":[1164,1116,1338,17098],"site":[6733],"research_program":[6744],"news_release":"","journal_article":"","atlas":"","research_report":"","infographic":"","video":"","downloads":null,"links":null,"sitecore_item_id":"42DEAC0C-604A-4BA7-92FB-6A888DFDE50A","sitecore_item_name":"Twin-pregnancy-and-severe-maternal-mental-illness","sitecore_field_values":"{\r\n \"Title\": \"Twin pregnancy and severe maternal mental illness: a Canadian population-based cohort study\",\r\n \"Short title\": \"Twin pregnancy and severe maternal\",\r\n \"Summary\": \"This study concluded that individuals with a twin birth appear to experience an increased risk for severe mental illness in the first year postpartum, but not thereafter.\",\r\n \"Citation\": \"