Delivery Mode Impact on Postoperative Depression

June 6, 2026 updated by: Jingping Wang, MD, Ph.D.

Impact of Elective Versus Emergency Cesarean Delivery on Early Postpartum Depression: a Retrospective Study

The goal of this observational retrospective cohort study is to examine the association between mode of delivery and early postpartum depressive symptoms in adult women who delivered at Massachusetts General Hospital. Specifically, the study evaluates whether the urgency of cesarean delivery (elective versus emergency) is associated with differences in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores at 6-8 weeks postpartum, compared with elective cesarean delivery and vaginal delivery. The EPDS is a validated 10-item self-report questionnaire with scores ranging from 0 to 30, where higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms.

The primary questions are whether EPDS scores differ among women undergoing emergency cesarean delivery, elective cesarean delivery, and vaginal delivery, and whether perioperative and obstetric factors are associated with postpartum depressive symptoms.

This study involves retrospective analysis of de-identified electronic health record data. Participants will not undergo any study-specific interventions.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

4000

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

adult patients (≥18 years old) who underwent cesarean delivery or vaginal delivery

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Underwent cesarean delivery (elective or emergency) or vaginal delivery during the study period

Age 18 years or older

Completed at least one Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) assessment at 6-8 weeks postpartum

Have complete perioperative data available

Exclusion Criteria:

Missing 6-8 week postpartum EPDS scores

Pregnancy with fetal demise, severe obstetric complications, or atypical maternal conditions

History of severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder), when identifiable

Incomplete perioperative medical records

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
elective cesarean
patients who undergone elective cesarean
urgent cesarean
patients undergone urgent cesarean
vaginal delivery
patients who delivered by vaginal pass

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores, a 10-item self-reported screening tool for postpartum depression (range: 0-30, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms)
Time Frame: 6-8 weeks postpartum
6-8 weeks postpartum

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Prevalence of postpartum depression
Time Frame: 6-8weeks
Prevalence of postpartum depression (EPDS ≥ threshold) across delivery groups.
6-8weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Jingping Wang, MD, Ph.D.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

October 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 28, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 28, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 6, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025P002461

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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