The Effect of <i>Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</i> on Clinical Diagnosis of Postpartum Depression

<b>Background:</b> The 2022 US Supreme Court decision in <i>Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization</i> eliminated the constitutional right to abortion and activated trigger laws in 21 states, either banning or significantly restricting abortion access. This study estimated changes in postpartum depression (PPD) diagnoses after <i>Dobbs</i> in states with trigger laws vs those without. <b>Methods:</b> Medicaid data from Kythera Labs spanning December 2019 to June 2024 were utilized. Difference-in-difference models assessed changes in PPD diagnosis rates post-<i>Dobbs</i> (21 trigger states, 29 non-trigger states). <b>Results:</b> Women in trigger states were younger (mean, 26.53 vs 27.98 years), more likely to reside in low socioeconomic status areas (41.28% vs 24.42%) and less likely to have obstetrical complications (66.06% vs 77.36%), maternal complications (16.41% vs 18.9%), and lifestyle risk factors (13.58% vs 21.17%). Baseline PPD diagnosis rates were 8.51% in trigger states and 12.66% in non-trigger states. Post-<i>Dobbs</i>, PPD diagnosis rates were 10.20% in trigger states and 14.34% in non-trigger states. <b>Conclusions:</b> Overall, women in states with abortion trigger laws experienced a small positive but statistically insignificant increase in PPD diagnoses following <i>Dobbs</i> compared with those in non-trigger states.