A groundbreaking study analyzing over 890,000 births in Ontario has uncovered a stark and unsettling reality: people with multiple sclerosis (MS) face a dramatically higher risk of perinatal mental illness compared to those with other chronic conditions. Published in Neurology, the prestigious medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, this research exposes the profound mental health struggles endured by individuals with MS during pregnancy and the crucial first year after childbirth.
Drawing from extensive population-based health data from ICES, the study reveals that a staggering 8% of people with MS develop a new mental illness while pregnant—a number that surges to 14% in the postpartum period. Depression and anxiety emerge as the most common afflictions, painting a sobering picture of the emotional toll that MS imposes during one of life’s most vulnerable moments.
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The study compared mental health outcomes among those assigned female at birth with multiple sclerosis (close to 1,700) to females with epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and people without these chronic conditions. The researchers analyzed mental illness before conception, during pregnancy, and up to three years after giving birth.
The first year after childbirth was found to be a particularly vulnerable period, with people with multiple sclerosis being 33% more likely to experience a mental illness than people without MS or another of the studied chronic diseases. Overall, half of people with MS were living with a mental illness in the first year postpartum.
“Our findings highlight the heightened vulnerability of mothers with MS to mental illness, emphasizing the need for mental health screening and early intervention, including the use of preventive strategies” says lead author Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie, a Professor of Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Research Chair at Dalhousie University.
Key findings reveal a significantly higher incidence of mental illness among pregnant individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Compared to those without MS, individuals with MS experienced a 26% increased risk of mental illness during pregnancy and a 33% increased risk in the first year postpartum, even after accounting for factors like age, socioeconomic status, and obstetric complications. Overall, 42% of individuals with MS experienced mental illness during pregnancy, and this rose to 50% in the first postpartum year, compared to 30% and 38%, respectively, for those without MS. Furthermore, about 1% of individuals with MS experienced psychosis and nearly 6% developed substance use disorders within a year of giving birth. The study also indicated increased risks of mental illness during pregnancy and the postpartum period for individuals with epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, and diabetes.
