Epidemiology of mental disorders during pregnancy and link to birth outcome: a large-scale retrospective observational database study including 38,000 pregnancies.

Purpose: To investigate the real-life epidemiology of mental disorders during pregnancy and their impact on birth outcome in an unselected low-risk population in Germany.

Methods: Claims data of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) were analyzed as part of a retrospective observational study over a one-year period from 01/2008 to 12/2008 including 38,174 pregnant women. ICD-10 codes were clustered into four diagnostic groups: depression, anxiety disorders, somatoform/dissociative disorders and acute stress reactions.