Dr. Maja Žutić at DRZB Conference and Psihofest Round Table

Dr. Maja Žutić, Senior Assistant at the Department of Psychology of the Catholic University of Croatia, participated on May 10, 2025, in the 27th Bujas Days of Psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, where she presented a talk titled "The bidirectional relationship between gestational diabetes mellitus and peripartum depression: the role of pre-pregnancy body mass index."
 

In her presentation, Dr. Žutić shared the results of a longitudinal study conducted as part of the MumHealth project, published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (Q1). The findings represent the first empirical evidence of a positive and bidirectional relationship between gestational diabetes and depressive symptoms during and after pregnancy — but only in women with a normal pre-pregnancy body mass index. This association was not found in pregnant women who were overweight or obese. These insights contribute not only to a better understanding of the etiology of both conditions but also have important practical implications for identifying at-risk groups of pregnant women.

Additionally, on May 11, during Psihofest, a psychology popularization festival held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Žutić participated in a round table dedicated to the mental health of pregnant women. Speaking from the perspective of a psychologist and researcher who systematically studies this field, she addressed various questions about challenges and support during pregnancy, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the role of society in preserving the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women.