A survey of 862 Israeli women who just delivered babies found that over one-third experienced postpartum depression symptoms following the October 7 massacres and during the Israel-Hamas war.
By Rachel Avraham
A survey of 862 Israeli women who just delivered babies found that over one-third experienced postpartum depression symptoms following the October 7 massacres and during the Israel-Hamas war, according to a study done by a team of Israeli researchers from various fields such as nursing, reproductive psychiatry, women’s health promotion, social work, and psychiatry, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The study, which was presented at the International Conference on Women’s Mental Health in March 2025, was undertaken by a team of leading researchers from the field of mental health and medicine in Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported. According to the report, those involved include: Dr Samira Alfayumi-Zeadna from the Ashkelon Academic College’s Department of Nursing and the Ben-Gurion University’s Center for the Promotion and Research of Women’s Health, Dr Vered Bar from the Hava Center for Reproductive Psychiatry at Sheba Medical Center, Dr Galit Neufeld Kroszynski from the Beria Association for the Promotion of Women’s Health, Dr Inbal Reuveni from the Department of Psychiatry at Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Dr Vered Maugami and Dr Renee Bina from the School of Social Work at Bar-Ilan University.
According to the report, there is a clear link between post-traumatic stress disorder and postpartum depression, the study found, with women experiencing PTSD symptoms 2.5 times more likely to suffer from postpartum depression. The Jerusalem Post reported that the women in the study reported to have suffered additional symptoms beyond depression, with 34% reporting post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSD).
The Jerusalem Post reported that the symptoms included experiencing war-related nightmares, feeling constantly on edge or easily startled, attempting to avoid thoughts related to the war, feeling disconnected from other people, activities, and the environment, and experiencing guilt regarding the war. According to the report, additional stress factors were noted in the study, including home eviction, loss of family income, and the potential for physical damage to their homes due to the war.
This study comes after another study was published last year in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics titled “The association of delivery during a war with the risk of post-partum depression, anxiety, and impaired maternal-infant bonding.” This study was conducted on women who gave birth in Southern Israel during the first two months of the war. According to that study, “Adjusted risk for postpartum depression in women delivering during the war was more than twofold higher compared to women who delivered before the war era (adjusted odds Ratio, OR- 2.35, 95% CI 1.16–4.74, p=0.017). Women delivering during the war era were also more likely to endorse clinically significant symptoms of post-partum anxiety, suggesting a high risk for post-partum anxiety.”
The study continued: “War trauma and military conflicts force populations to face losses and destruction and live with feelings of fear, insecurity, and despair. The literature depicts the significant mental health cost of these conflicts. The number of people worldwide live and suffer from military conflicts continue to increase. Pregnant women and mothers are particularly vulnerable in conditions of war.”
The study concluded: “Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2024) 310:2863–2871 2869 revealed an increased risk of post-partum depression in women who deliver during conditions of war. Post-partum depression has significant consequences and costs. Women with post-partum depression are likely to experience future episodes of depression and co-morbid mental illnesses. Depressed women may also suffer from providing appropriate maternal care and their infants are at risk for developmental problems.” WIZO and the Postpartum Women’s Forum will host a free online Zoom lecture series as part of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, on postpartum depression and PTSD around childbirth, between May 4-7, the Jerusalem Post reported.
