Women who stop taking prescribed antidepressants during pregnancy are playing games with their mental health, a new study says.

Pregnant women who quit their antidepressants are nearly twice as likely to experience a mental health emergency compared to those who keep taking their meds, researchers reported Wednesday at a meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Las Vegas.

“This work underscores the need to take pregnant patients’ mental health seriously and to offer the full range of treatment options — including medications when clinically appropriate,” lead researcher Dr. Kelly Zafman said in a news release. She’s a maternal-fetal medicine fellow at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mental health disorders are the largest contributor to maternal deaths in the U.S., researchers said in background notes. Pregnancy can worsen depression, anxiety and other psychiatric problems a woman might be facing.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are safe to use during pregnancy, researchers said. Evidence has shown they’re not associated with birth defects or developmental problems.

Nevertheless, some women stop taking antidepressants during pregnancy, worried about the possible effects of the meds.

For the new study, researchers tracked insurance health records for nearly 4,000 women who gave birth in 2023 and 2024. All were diagnosed with depression or anxiety prior to pregnancy.

Of those patients, 37% entered pregnancy with an prescription for an antidepressant. About 18% had no prescription fills during their pregnancy, and 65% had a gap of more than 60 days in fills.

Results showed that women who quit their antidepressants had nearly double the risk for a mental health problem such as suicidal thoughts, substance overdose or psychosis.

The risk peaked in the first and ninth months of pregnancy, researchers found.

“These findings, while not entirely surprising to those who work with pregnant patients who suffer from mental health conditions, are so important to consider for maternal health policy,” Zafman said.

“Confronting the maternal mental health crisis is essential to reducing maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States,” she concluded.

Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Women thinking about quitting antidepressants during pregnancy should speak with their doctor before taking action.