Women become depressed more frequently than men, a consistent pattern across cultures. Inflammation plays a key role in initiating depression among a subset of individuals, and depression also has inflammatory consequences. Notably, women experience higher levels of inflammation and greater autoimmune disease risk compared to men. In the current review, we explore the bidirectional relationship between inflammation and depression and describe how this link may be particularly relevant for women. Compared to men, women may be more vulnerable to inflammation-induced mood and behavior changes. For example, transient elevations in inflammation prompt greater feelings of loneliness and social disconnection for women than for men, which can contribute to the onset of depression. Women also appear to be disproportionately affected by several factors that elevate inflammation, including prior depression, somatic symptomatology, interpersonal stressors, childhood adversity, obesity, and physical inactivity. Relationship distress and obesity, both of which elevate depression risk, are also more strongly tied to inflammation for women than for men. Taken together, these findings suggest that women’s susceptibility to inflammation and its mood effects may contribute to sex differences in depression. Depression continues to be a leading cause of disability worldwide, with women experiencing greater risk than men. Due to the depression-inflammation connection, these patterns may promote additional health risks for women. Considering the impact of inflammation on women’s mental health may foster a better understanding of sex differences in depression, as well as the selection of effective depression treatments.

Taken together, these data implicate parasympathetic function in novel links between loneliness and accelerated cellular aging.

Dual-process models of health behavior posit that implicit and explicit attitudes independently drive healthy behaviors. Prior evidence indicates that implicit attitudes may be related to weekly physical activity (PA) levels, but the extent to which self-regulation attenuates this link remains unknown. This study examined the associations between implicit attitudes and self-reported PA during leisure time among 150 highly active young adults and evaluated the extent to which effortful control (one aspect of self-regulation) moderated this relationship. Results indicated that implicit attitudes toward exercise were unrelated to average workout length among individuals with higher effortful control. However, those with lower effortful control and more negative implicit attitudes reported shorter average exercise sessions compared with those with more positive attitudes. Implicit and explicit attitudes were unrelated to total weekly PA. A combination of poorer self-regulation and negative implicit attitudes may leave individuals vulnerable to mental and physical health consequences of low PA.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during pregnancy is a significant global mental health concern that affects up to 1 in 5 trauma‐exposed pregnant women and is associated with an increased risk of adverse maternal and infant complications and health outcomes. This systematic literature review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, examined findings from studies of psychological interventions and treatments for prenatal PTSD to inform recommendations for future research. Relevant evidence was identified from reference reviews and electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, Google Scholar, PsychInfo, and Scopus). Included studies reported on the effect of nonpharmacological intervention or treatment of PTSD symptomatology delivered during pregnancy, with at least one postintervention follow‐up collected during pregnancy to assess prenatal treatment outcomes. The systematic review was augmented with a discussion of lower‐level evidence. Of the 954 articles screened, six peer‐reviewed, quantitative reports met the inclusion criteria and featured three empirically based interventions, including two randomized controlled trials: Two psychoeducation interventions for PTSD and one treatment study of interpersonal psychotherapy in trauma‐exposed pregnant women. Effect sizes for PTSD symptom change ranged from small to large, Cohen's d/ηp2 = 0.16–0.78. No studies examined evidence‐based PTSD treatments (e.g., exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy). A risk of bias assessment indicated variability in study quality. This review demonstrates that research on prenatal PTSD symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment is extremely limited despite a clear link between prenatal PTSD and perinatal complications. Early evidence supports further scientific inquiry into psychoeducation, psychotherapy treatments (e.g., exposure therapy), integrated prenatal care approaches, and community‐based approaches.

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Background Prenatal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often overlooked in obstetric care, despite evidence that untreated PTSD negatively impacts both mother and baby. OB-GYN clinics commonly screen for depression in pregnant patients; however, prenatal PTSD screening is rare. Although the lack of PTSD screening likely leaves a significant portion of pregnant patients with unaddressed mental health needs, the size of this care gap has not been previously investigated. Methods This retrospective chart review study included data from 1,402 adult, pregnant patients who completed PTSD (PTSD Checklist-2; PCL) and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Survey; EPDS) screenings during a routine prenatal care visit. Descriptive statistics identified screening rates for PTSD and depression, and logistic regression analyses identified demographic variables associated with screening outcomes and assessed whether screening results (+ PCL/ + EPDS, + PCL/-EPDS, -PCL/ + EPDS, -PCL/-EPDS) were associated with different provider intervention recommendations. Results 11.1% of participants screened positive for PTSD alone, 3.8% for depression alone, and 5.4% for both depression and PTSD. Black (OR = 2.24, 95% CI [1.41,3.54]) and Latinx (OR = 1.64, 95% CI [1.01,2.66]) patients were more likely to screen positive for PTSD compared to White patients, while those on public insurance were 1.64 times (95% CI [1.21,2.22]) more likely to screen positive compared to those with private insurance. Patients who screened positive for both depression and PTSD were most likely to receive referrals for behavioral health services (44.6%), followed by -PCL/ + EPDS (32.6%), + PCL/-EPDS (10.5%), and -PCL/-EPDS (3.6%). A similar pattern emerged for psychotropic medication prescriptions. Conclusions Over ten percent of pregnant patients in the current study screened positive for PTSD without depression, highlighting a critical mental health need left unaddressed by current obstetric standards of care. Routine PTSD screening during prenatal care alongside strategies aimed at increasing referral resources and access to mental health services are recommended.

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Background-Prior to treatment, breast cancer patients are less physically fit compared to peers; during cancer treatment, their fitness typically declines. Depressive symptoms are associated with reduced activity up to 5 years post-treatment, but research has not identified mechanisms linking depression and lower activity. The current study assessed relationships among breast cancer patients' depression and perceived exertion during exercise as well as heart rate, an objective indicator of exertion.Methods-Participants were 106 breast cancer patients, stages I-IIIA, who completed surgery but had not started adjuvant treatment. Heart rate and self-rated exertion, measured using the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion, were assessed every 2 min during a graded exercise test. Depression was assessed using the CES-D and a structured clinical interview.Results-Compared to women below the CES-D clinical cutoff, women with significant depressive symptoms reported steeper increases in exertion during the exercise test (p = .010) but Avelina C.