Is peripartum anhedonia a missing target?

Abstract

The perinatal period is an extremely delicate phase that can involve a high risk for onset of depressive disorders. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely validated instrument for assessing perinatal depressive symptoms, including the dimension of anhedonia. There are studies suggesting that the neural mechanism underlying the occurrence of anhedonia in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depression (BD) might be distinct. Anhedonia seems to represent a more stable and frequent symptom in women with postpartum bipolar relative to unipolar depressive disorder and is associated with significantly higher depressive symptom severity. Perinatal medicine is an important component of women's health. Treatment of anhedonia can be challenging, and the most effective treatment can be a combination of psychotherapy and medication, but the screening of anhedonia in peripartum women can prevent the development of other psychiatric disorders and maladaptive behaviors.

Prenatal Iodine Intake and Maternal Pregnancy and Postpartum Depressive and Anhedonia Symptoms: Findings from a Multiethnic US Cohort

“…Recent evidence underscores the need to consider the anhedonia depressive subtype, indexed as reduced interest or pleasure to stimuli previously perceived as rewarding consequent to impairment of the effort-based reward system [ 3 ]. Anhedonia has been reported in approximately 30% and 50% of individuals with unipolar and bipolar depressive disorder, respectively [ 4 ]. Mechanisms underlying anhedonia are distinct from depression.…”