Pharmacologic treatment of mood disorders reduces morbidity of depressive disorders and improves quality of life. Not all patients benefit from treatment. Close to 30% to 40% does not improve enough to the first antidepressant they receive. Many factors are assumed to contribute to this. In the last years it has been studied genetic factors predisposing to drug response or side effects in mood disorders. The efficacy of antidepressant action has been associated to several polymorphisms located in candidate genes related to serotonin pathway.

The prevalence of major depression occurring in the postpartum (PPD) is estimated at 4%-6% and results in considerable morbidity for women, their infants and families. The period of higher risk of PPD appear to occur close to the time of birth between 8 to 24 weeks. It seems that PPD episode is severe and longer than episodes outside this period of life. Initial results showed that women with PPD experienced fewer episodes during illness course compared to non postpartum women and less comorbidity with personality disorders.

We presented preliminary socio-demographic, clinical and genetic data (5-HTTLPPR polymorphism) of a case control studied of women with PPD naturalist treated with SSRI visited at the Perinatal Psychiatric Unit. All women were diagnosed by a DSM-IV structured interview and assessed for personality traits. Therapeutical SSRI response was evaluated by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Hamilton rating Scale for depression at baseline, 8 weeks and 24 weeks of treatment.

This project is funded in part by Marató-TV3, GO3/184, and FIS-05/2565.