War linked to significant surge in postpartum depression, study finds

The risk of postpartum depression and anxiety for mothers who give birth during wartime is doubled, an Israeli study disclosed on Tuesday.

The study, conducted at Soroka Medical Center, examined the relationship between a mother's exposure to terrorism and war and its effects on her mental health after childbirth, including depression, anxiety, and the mother-infant bond, as reported by Ynet.

Over 500 postpartum women were included in the study, spanning both routine periods and times of emergency. From October to November 2023, 230 women were interviewed at the onset of the war. The control group comprised 272 women who delivered at Soroka Medical Center during a peaceful period from March to May 2020, the latest data from routine times.