The association between preconception cannabis use and depression and anxiety during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Cannabis use among individuals of reproductive age has increased with cannabis legalization and heightened stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study provides data on preconception cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) during the pandemic and models the association between preconception cannabis use and depression and anxiety during pregnancy. METHODS: Data on substance use and depression and anxiety symptoms were collected from questionnaires and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5) from pregnant individuals in Oregon in 2019-2022. Linear regression was used to model the association between the frequency of preconception cannabis use and scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression-Revised (CESD-R) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). RESULTS: The prevalence of preconception cannabis use was 27.8% among 227 study participants. CUD was diagnosed in 19% of cannabis users, or 5.3% of the overall sample. Daily cannabis use, compared to rare/never use, was associated with increases in CESD-R (ß = 6.22, p 0.029) and BAI (ß = 4.71, p 0.045) scores. CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis use and CUD are common among individuals of reproductive age. Given the association between preconception cannabis use and depression and anxiety during pregnancy, more attention is needed on screening and counseling of cannabis use among people of reproductive age.

Adapting Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Perinatal Depression to Improve Access and Appeal of Preventive Care.

Existing and emerging evidence indicates that perinatal depression is a key contributor to preventable morbidity and mortality during and after childbearing. Despite this, there are few effective options for prevention and treatment that are readily accessible for and appealing to pregnant people. Aspects of routine health care systems contribute to this situation. Furthermore, societal and health care systems factors create additional barriers for people of color, people living in rural regions, and people living in poverty. Our interprofessional team of perinatal care providers, mental health providers, community partners, health services scientists, health equity scientists, and business leaders developed and are piloting a perinatal mental health preventive intervention designed to increase access and appeal of a program incorporating mindfulness cognitive behavioral therapy with proven efficacy in preventing perinatal depression. In this article, we briefly summarize key systems barriers to delivering preventive care for perinatal depression in standard prenatal care clinics. We then describe Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Perinatal Depression and outline our adaptation of this intervention, Center M. Finally, we identify next steps, challenges, and opportunities for this recent innovation.