OBJECTIVES: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a widespread mental health problem and a prime cause of maternal suffering and ill health following childbirth. Three systematic literature reviews (SLRs) were conducted to identify economic evaluations (EEs), utilities, and costs and healthcare resource use (CHRU) data.

METHODS: Ten databases and other information sources were searched to December 2023. The EEs and utilities/CHRU SLRs were limited to studies published since 2013 and 2003, respectively.

RESULTS: The EEs SLR included two studies. A cost-utility analysis (CUA) of brexanolone (11-year time horizon) reported an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $106,662 (US payer perspective). A cost-benefit analysis of non-pharmacological treatments (assumed to cover a lifetime time horizon with UK health, social care/governmental and societal perspectives) did not use an economic model and reported net benefit. The CHRU SLR included 22 studies. There was variation in costs between countries. Evidence from the comparative CHRU studies in the US suggested CHRU increases for mothers ($4,000) and their infants ($1,000) in the 12 months postpartum. In the 24 months postpartum, a high level of CHRU for infants/family was noted. Indirect costs included productivity losses to the mother, and child lifetime costs linked to additional school support, employment, reduced earnings, crime victim costs and productivity losses. The utilities SLR included four studies, comprising three primary studies based on PPD trials and one CUA (also included in the EEs SLR). Utilities for women with PPD and moderate-to-severe PPD were around 0.68 (EQ-5D-3L) and 0.55 (SF-6D), respectively. Successful treatment showed an increase in utilities to 0.77 or 0.78.

CONCLUSIONS: PPD has a high patient, family and societal burden. This review was limited by the sparsely available evidence. Sizeable variation in costs estimated across studies was noted, primarily due to different geographies and data sources, but there is a pattern of increased costs for PPD.