Antidepressant adherence and influencing factors among pregnant women: a retrospective cohort study in Lleida, Spain

Depression is the most common psychological illness in the perinatal period. Low adherence to treatment has been associated with health problems for the mother and the child. To analyse adherence to antidepressant treatment in pregnant women and identify possible factors associated with adherence. Retrospective observational cohort study in pregnant women in the Region of Lleida from 2012 to 2018. Variables: age, body mass index (BMI), hypothyroidism, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, country of origin, and prescribed antidepressant drug and adherence to it. A multivariate analysis and obtained the linear regression coefficients and their 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated. In a sample of 17177 pregnant women, 2.5% had a diagnosis of a depressive disorder and 24% have a prescribed antidepressant treatment. Of these, 25% showed an adequate adherence to it. No relationship was observed between therapeutic adherence and the other variables, such as age, BMI, diabetes mellitus, and country of origin. This study revealed a notable occurrence of depression in pregnant women. Treatment uptake aligns with rates observed in similar groups; however, adherence to prescribed regimens remains considerably low. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into barriers impacting treatment compliance, with the aim of enhancing care effectiveness for this vulnerable population.