A study conducted by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) has found significant correlations between postpartum urinary incontinence and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety among underserved women.
The research was conducted as part of the Extending Maternal Care After Pregnancy program, which provided extended postpartum care to women facing health disparities in Dallas County. The program involved frequent check-ins and assessments throughout the patients' first year of postpartum, allowing for timely intervention and referrals for conditions like urinary incontinence and mental health disorders. A total of 419 women were evaluated 12 months postpartum using the Urinary Distress Index-6, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to assess urinary dysfunction, anxiety, and depression, respectively.
The results, published in Urogynecology, indicated that one-third of the participants reported stress urinary incontinence, characterized by leakage during activities such as coughing or sneezing, while one-sixth experienced urgency urinary incontinence, involving sudden, intense urges to urinate. Notably, these conditions were not linked to traditional factors like fetal birth weight or mode of delivery, but were significantly associated with higher body mass index at the time of delivery, increased parity, and higher depression and anxiety scores.
“Our study draws a bridge between two vital components of health care that are often overlooked and neglected: postpartum care and mental health,” said Sonia Bhandari Randhawa, M.D., a second-year Urogynecology fellow at UTSW, who co-led the study with David Rahn, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UTSW.
“It’s so important for providers to ask questions about urinary incontinence, depression, and anxiety, even if they don’t have time to discuss these topics in depth,” added Dr. Bhandari Randhawa. “Having the right referral for these treatable conditions can make a huge difference in patients’ lives.”
This study was supported by the Health and Human Services Racial Equity in Postpartum Care Challenge, Phase I award, and the UT Southwestern Program for the Development and Evaluation of Model Community Health Initiatives in Dallas. Notable contributors to the study included Catherine Spong, M.D., Chair and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; David B. Nelson, M.D., Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Elaine Duryea, M.D., Chief of Obstetrics at Parkland Health; Jessica Pruszynski, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and Andrea Rizkallah, M.D., postdoctoral researcher.