Grant: CIHR Fellowship

The rise in maternal age in industrialized countries has resulted in an increase in women with chronic illnesses during pregnancy. As pregnancy can be a time of heightened stress, it can place an additional strain on women suffering from a pre-existing medical disorder. Women with a chronic illness are also likely to experience more fatigue, anxiety and depression than healthy women. In my doctoral thesis, I showed that multiple sclerosis among parents leads to substantially higher levels of mental health disorders and postpartum depression, and such mental health impairments in parents adversely affect the mental health of children and adolescents. Although the prevalence of chronic disorders during pregnancy is increasing, there is a lack of knowledge about its potential impact on the mother's and child's mental health. Therefore, I aim to determine the risks of mental illness during pregnancy among women with a chronic condition and its potential effect on the development and mental health of children. Chronic illnesses of interest will include, but will not be limited to, diabetes, hypertension, (morbid) obesity, multiple sclerosis, and congenital heart disease. I will analyze de-identified data from Sweden, including information on doctor and hospital visits, dispensed drugs, and births for the entire Swedish population. This will be the first study to explore this issue in a large national database. Findings from this research will help healthcare providers understand the psychological and psychiatric effects of a pre-existing maternal chronic condition. Furthermore, this research will provide evidence that will improve pregnancy experience and outcomes and potentially identify appropriate interventions that could alleviate stress and mental health morbidity caused by chronic illnesses in pregnant women.