NEARLY two-thirds of women stop taking prescribed antidepressants during pregnancy, a 2026 cross-sectional analysis has found.
Researchers also found that patients who stopped taking their prescribed antidepressants during pregnancy were almost twice as likely to experience a mental health emergency.
Taking Antidepressants During Pregnancy
Poor mental health is the largest contributor to maternal mortality in the USA. Risk factors for untreated or undertreated depression during pregnancy include suicide, preterm birth, preeclampsia, and low birth weight.
Previous research has shown that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use during pregnancy is not associated with congenital abnormalities, fetal growth problems, or long-term developmental issues.
SSRI Discontinuation
Researchers identified nearly 4,000 patients diagnosed with anxiety or depression before pregnancy with an active prescription for an SSRI or a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor who gave birth in 2023 or 2024.
It was found that 64.6% discontinued their medication for at least 60 days during pregnancy.
Just 17.6% continued their medication without gaps, and rates of antidepressant discontinuation increased with every trimester: 29.7%, 31.6%, and 38.6%.
There was no difference between outpatient or emergency room visits for mental health indications prior to pregnancy between patients who continued taking their antidepressants and those who did not.
However, the 64.6% who stopped taking antidepressants during pregnancy had an almost two-fold higher risk of experiencing a mental health emergency, with peaks in the first and ninth months of pregnancy.
Emergencies included suicide risk, substance overdose, and psychosis.
Implications for Maternal Health
One in five patients have a pre-existing diagnosis of anxiety or depression when entering pregnancy. If left untreated, this can have adverse effects on maternal, obstetric, and neonatal outcomes.
Researchers concluded that treatments for poor mental health should not be withheld during pregnancy, calling for strategies to promote medication continuation through pregnancy to be established as an urgent public health priority to address the maternal mortality crisis.
Reference
Zafman KB et al. Contemporary patterns and outcomes of antidepressant discontinuation in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2026;DOI:10.1002/pmf2.70167.
