Women who stop taking antidepressants during pregnancy are almost twice as likely to have a mental health emergency as those who continue treatment, according to new research presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 2026 Pregnancy Meeting on 11 February 2026.
The study examined records from a state-based private insurance database for 3,983 patients who gave birth between January 2023 and December 2024. All patients had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety and were prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) before getting pregnant.
Researchers discovered that women who stopped their medication — or had gaps of more than 60 days — were more likely to experience serious mental health issues, including suicide risk, psychosis or substance overdose, compared with women who continued to take their medication throughout their pregnancy.
The highest risks were in the first (58/1,000 vs. 37/1,000, p=0.02) and ninth months of pregnancy (59/1,000 vs. 29/1,000, p<0.01).
In comparison, patients who continued their antidepressant had lower rates of mental health emergencies.
Rates of outpatient or emergency visits before pregnancy were similar between the two groups, which the researchers suggest that discontinuation during pregnancy was a contributing factor in the increased risk.
Commenting on the study, Zoe van Zuylen, lead women’s and neonatal pharmacist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said “Many antidepressants have been shown to be safe and effective in pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Women should not stop their regular medication during pregnancy without consulting a healthcare professional, unless there is a pre-pregnancy plan in place.”
She added that untreated mental health illness can have a negative impact on both the mother and the unborn child, “in many cases the risks of stopping treatment can outweigh the risk to the foetus from taking medication”.
As long-term outcome studies have demonstrated the safety of antidepressants used in pregnancy and breastfeeding for babies and children, van Zuylen highlighted the need for “consistent messaging from healthcare professionals” but also the “importance of good perinatal mental health care and advice for women before, during and after pregnancy”.
Amina Hatia, midwifery manager for pregnancy and baby charity Tommy’s, agreed: “Pregnancy is a daunting time and decisions around medication can feel particularly overwhelming. It’s understandable that women question whether they should continue to take anti-depressants when they’re expecting a baby.
“As these findings suggest, it’s important to talk through all your options with a healthcare professional before you make any decision, to make sure it’s the right one to keep you and your baby as safe as possible.”
According to a report published on 28 January 2026 by Anna Freud — a charity supporting children’s mental health — around 26% of people who give birth in the UK experience mental health difficulties during pregnancy or the year after birth.
The report claimed the wider support system can be “complex and fragmented” and has called for better integration of perinatal mental health psychological support.
Lead researcher Kelly B Zafman, maternal-foetal medicine fellow at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, said: “These findings, while not entirely surprising to those who work with pregnant patients with mental health conditions […] underscores the need to take pregnant patients’ mental health seriously and to offer the full range of treatment options – including medications when clinically appropriate.”
Read more: ‘Case-based learning: safe withdrawal and tapering of antidepressants’