Postpartum status and emotional health in women aged ≥45 years during the menopausal transition: a prospective observational study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe associations between pregnancy, postpartum status and emotional health in women aged ≥45 years undergoing the menopausal transition. METHOD: The prospective observational study included 71 women aged ≥45 years: 36 postpartum participants and 35 age-matched controls who had not given birth in the preceding 2 years. Participants completed the Cervantes Short-Form Scale (quality of life), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) at baseline, 12 months and 24 months. No significant associations were observed for PHQ-9 or Cervantes scores after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Among midlife women, postpartum status was associated with higher depressive symptom scores on the BDI-II but not on other measures. These findings are preliminary and should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating. Larger studies are needed to confirm these associations and identify potential contributing factors.