ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DELIVERY ROUTE AND DEVELOPMENT OF DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS IN ADULTHOOD

• Grant number: 25/09108-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Cristina Marta Del-Ben
• Grantee: Vitória Argenti Perez
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Background: Several biological and psychosocial factors may increase the risk of depressive disorders, including pregnancy and birth conditions. Cesarean section is one of the most common types of births in Brazil, accounting for approximately 50% of all births. Births via cesarean section have been associated with health conditions in adulthood, such as obesity and hypertension. However, associations between births via cesarean section and depressive disorders in adulthood remain unclear.Aim: This research aims to investigate associations between births by cesarean section and depressive disorders in young adults (22-23 years old) and adults (37-38 years old) of both sexes at birth from two birth cohorts from Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, compared to individuals born by vaginal delivery.Methods: Individuals born in 1978/1979 and in 1994 were reassessed in 2016/2017 with various questionnaires, including the structured interview for psychiatric diagnosis Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The sample will comprise 364 individuals with depressive disorders compared to 1979 individuals without a psychiatric diagnosis. Data on maternal age, schooling, work, and financial status at delivery, health conditions, and maternal smoking during pregnancy were obtained immediately after birth. Simultaneously, data on gestational age, weight at birth, and restricted intrauterine growth were also collected. The sociodemographic variables of the individuals were assessed in 2016, at 22-23 and 37-38 years old, respectively. Data will be handled with the statistical package SPSS. We intend to use logistic regression methods to analyze associations between births by cesarean section and depressive disorders.Expected Results: We expect to find associations between perinatal and birth conditions and the development of depressive disorders in adulthood. We intend to describe obstetric and perinatal factors related to cesarean sections and their influence on future depressive disorders. Therefore, we expect to contribute to clinical decision-making about birth types by highlighting the influence of birth types on the offspring mental health. (AU)