The Effect of _Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization_ on Clinical Diagnosis of Postpartum Depression
# Background The 2022 US Supreme Court decision in _Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization_ eliminated the constitutional right to abortion and activated trigger laws in 21 states, either banning or significantly restricting abortion access. This study estimated changes in postpartum depressio...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Columbia Data Analytics, LLC
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.36469/001c.129633 |
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| Summary: | # Background
The 2022 US Supreme Court decision in _Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization_ eliminated the constitutional right to abortion and activated trigger laws in 21 states, either banning or significantly restricting abortion access. This study estimated changes in postpartum depression (PPD) diagnoses after _Dobbs_ in states with trigger laws vs those without.
# Methods
Medicaid data from Kythera Labs spanning December 2019 to June 2024 were utilized. Difference-in-difference models assessed changes in PPD diagnosis rates post-_Dobbs_ (21 trigger states, 29 non-trigger states).
# Results
Women in trigger states were younger (mean, 26.53 vs 27.98 years), more likely to reside in low socioeconomic status areas (41.28% vs 24.42%) and less likely to have obstetrical complications (66.06% vs 77.36%), maternal complications (16.41% vs 18.9%), and lifestyle risk factors (13.58% vs 21.17%). Baseline PPD diagnosis rates were 8.51% in trigger states and 12.66% in non-trigger states. Post-_Dobbs_, PPD diagnosis rates were 10.20% in trigger states and 14.34% in non-trigger states.
# Conclusions
Overall, women in states with abortion trigger laws experienced a small positive but statistically insignificant increase in PPD diagnoses following _Dobbs_ compared with those in non-trigger states. |
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| ISSN: | 2327-2236 |