• Blog

    Blog2023-08-08T17:17:12-04:00

    Weekly Roundup for FEBRUARY 19, 2021: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health

    Every week we review the most recent publications in women’s mental health, covering topics related to premenstrual symptoms, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women, perinatal substance use, and menopausal mental health.  For more detailed descriptions of many of these topics, you can sign up to receive our weekly CWMH NEWSLETTER which comes out every Thursday.   And don't forget to visit ESSENTIAL [...]

    February 21st, 2021|

    Essential Reads: How to Screen for Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Postpartum Women?

    When obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) occurs during the postpartum period, women may experience typical OCD symptoms related to contamination and cleaning, catastrophic thoughts and checking, or symmetry and ordering.  However, many women with postpartum OCD, as well as those with other postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, have intrusive, ego-dystonic thoughts of harming the infant.  These intrusive thoughts contribute to significant distress, and may ultimately compromise bonding and overall functioning.  These disturbing symptoms [...]

    February 17th, 2021|

    Cannabis Use More Common Among Pregnant Women with Depression, Anxiety and Trauma

    Despite decreasing rates of alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy, the use of cannabis use during pregnancy is on the rise.  Several qualitative studies have suggested that pregnant women report using cannabis to manage a range of psychological symptoms, including anxiety and depression.  However, we do not know whether cannabis use is more common among pregnant women with psychiatric illness or histories of trauma.  In a recent study, data from the [...]

    February 16th, 2021|

    Dr. Lee Cohen Discusses Menopause on the It’s Not a Crisis Podcast

    In this episode of It’s Not a Crisis, Dr. Lee Cohen speaks with host Doryn Wallach about the struggles many women experience during the menopausal transition. For most women, menopausal symptoms are manageable, but for a sizable subset of midlife women, these symptoms can negatively affect sleep, mood, and quality of life.  While clinical guidelines suggest that menopausal symptoms typically last from 6 months to 2 years, new research suggests that [...]

    February 11th, 2021|

    Essential Reads: Emerging Evidence of the Long-Term Effects of Cannabis on the Developing Brain

    Despite decreasing rates of alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy, the use of cannabis use during pregnancy is on the rise.  We are seeing an increasing number of women in our clinic who are using marijuana on a regular basis — recreationally and medically prescribed.  This is no surprise given that many states have or are now moving forward with the legalization of medical marijuana. The majority of marijuana users are [...]

    February 10th, 2021|

    Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid Linked to Increased Risk for Autism, ADHD

    Prenatal exposure to valproate has been associated with an elevated risk (10%) for a broad range of congenital malformations including neural tube defects, as well as adverse neurodevelopmental sequelae, including lower IQ and developmental delays in offspring. Several studies have shown that exposure to valproic acid (Depakote) may be associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorders or autistic traits and/or attentional problems. A new study examines the association between prenatal [...]

    February 9th, 2021|
    Go to Top