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Welcome to the MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health

Welcome

Welcome to The Ammon-Pinizzotto Center for Women’s Mental Health at MGH. Our Center, established in 1989, has been renamed following the generous gift from Carol Ammon and Dr. Marie Pinizzotto. These resources will be used to realize the overarching mission of the Center.

This website provides a range of current information including discussion of new research findings in women’s mental health and how such investigations inform day-to-day clinical practice. Despite the growing number of studies being conducted in women’s health, the clinical implications of such work are frequently controversial, leaving patients with questions regarding the most appropriate path to follow. Providing these resources to patients and their doctors so that individual clinical decisions can be made in a thoughtful and collaborative fashion dovetails with the mission of our Center.

The National Pregnancy Registry for Psychiatric Medications:

All pregnant women ages 18-45 are eligible to enroll in the registry. The primary goal of this Registry is to determine the frequency of major malformations, such as heart defects, cleft lip, or neural tube defects, in infants exposed to atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants during pregnancy.  We are currently seeking both controls and those being treated with atypical antipsychotics and/ or antidepressants. For more information, please visit this page, call 1-866-961-2388 or e-mail registry@womensmentalhealth.org.

 

Hummingbird Study: A new medication treatment study for postpartum depression

Anxious. Sad. Crying a lot. These are symptoms of postpartum depression. The Hummingbird Study is a research study evaluating an investigational medication in women suffering from moderate to severe postpartum depression.

You may qualify to participate in this study if you are between 18 to 45 years old, gave birth within the last 6 months, and feel extremely sad, anxious, or overwhelmed frequently as these symptoms are associated with postpartum depression.

If you qualify and decide to participate, you will receive 24-hour care and support for your postpartum depression during the 3-day, in-patient period. All study-related medical care and medication provided at no cost.

For more information, please visit this page, or call Lauren at 617-724-1181 or email lclaypoole@partners.org.

 

Course of ADHD in Pregnancy and the Postpartum

Are you pregnant? Do you have a history of ADHD?

If you are less than 20 weeks pregnant and have a history of ADHD, you may be eligible to take part in an observational research study for women maintaining, decreasing, or discontinuing psychostimulants during pregnancy and the postpartum. Women who participate will have 6 study visits from time of enrollment (<20 weeks pregnant) to 24 weeks postpartum.  The first visit must be in-person at Massachusetts General Hospital with the option to complete the remaining visits in-person or over the phone.

For more information, please call (617)726-2912 or email the study coordinator at onoe@partners.org

 

 

 EnBrace HR for MDD Relapse Prevention in         Women Trying to Conceive and Early Pregnancy:

 

Are you pregnant or planning a pregnancy? Do you feel depressed or have a history of depression? If you are less than 28 weeks pregnant or trying to conceive and have experienced depression now or in the past, you may be eligible to take part in a research study for the treatment of depression with a prenatal supplement. For more information, please visit this page, call Gina at 617-643-9284 or e-mail gsavella@partners.org.

 

 

Lifestyle Intervention Research Study Opportunity:

Are you pregnant or planning to become pregnant? Do you have a history of depression? Do you want to lose weight or have a healthier lifestyle? You may be eligible to participate in a research study evaluating a new lifestyle intervention for weight loss. Participants will receive 10 sessions of therapy at no cost to you.

If you are interested in participating or would like additional information, please call Samantha at 617-643-2076.

 

The MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health

Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Program

Simches Research Building

185 Cambridge St Suite 2200

Boston, MA 02114

 

To make an appointment:

Massachusetts General Hospital Clinical Program: (617) 724-7792

Location of appointments: 

Wang Ambulatory Care Center, Massachusetts General Hospital

15 Parkman St., Floor 8

Boston, MA 02114-3117 

Latest News from our Blog

  • Why Do Many Continue To Recommend Tapering SSRI Antidepressants During the Third Trimester?

    September 19, 2017

      In 2005, we saw the first reports describing an increased risk of “poor neonatal adaptation” in infants with prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants in late pregnancy.  Since that time, studies have consistently indicate that about 25%-30% of infants exposed to SSRIs late in pregnancy manifest symptoms of poor neonatal adaptation.  The ...

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  • The Etiology of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: 5 Interwoven Pieces

    September 12, 2017

    The following post was first published in Current Psychiatry, published September 2017, Vol. 16, No. 9, p. 20-28. Check out the article on Current Psychiatry or listen to Dr. Raffi discuss treatment of menstrual–related mood and anxiety disorders. By Edwin R. Raffi, MD, MPH, & Marlene P. Freeman, MD In an age when psychiatry strives to identify the biologic ...

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  • Antenatal Exposure to Antidepressant and Risk of Psychiatric Illness in the Child

    September 11, 2017

      When we provide consultations regarding the use of antidepressants during pregnancy, one of the most difficult questions we have to answer is related to the long-term effects of prenatal antidepressant exposure. Specifically, do antidepressants used by the mother during pregnancy affect the long term development of the fetus?  While many studies have attempted to look ...

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  • Estrogen Receptor Modulator Raloxifene for Women with Schizophrenia

    September 7, 2017

      Several years ago, we reviewed a paper suggesting that estrogen may have beneficial effects for women with schizophrenia.  In this study, women with schizophrenia were treated with estrogen in addition to their antipsychotic medications.  Adjunctive treatment with estrogen was associated with significant improvement in their positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions), but the women experienced no improvement ...

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  • Weekly Roundup for AUGUST 31, 2017: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health

    August 31, 2017

    A new study looks at the effects of telephone-delivered depression care management in postpartum women.  The July issue of Birth Defects Research features a collection of reviews on perinatal mental health.   Telephone-Based Depression Care Management for Postpartum Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Wisner KL, Sit DKY, McShea M, Luther JF, Eng HF, Dills JL, Moses-Kolko EL, ...

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  • Prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines and sibling-controlled cohort study

    August 31, 2017

      Over the last decade, we have seen multiple studies looking at the long term effects of prenatal exposure to antidepressants, particularly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, on children’s behavior.  Although benzodiazepines, such as lorazepam (Ativan) and clonazepam (Klonopin), and sedative-hypnotic medications are used relatively frequently during pregnancy, we have much less information regarding ...

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