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.
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Happy Reading!
Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD
PMS AND PMDD
No articles this week
INFERTILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH
Benzodiazepine use during an IVF cycle and its impacts on miscarriage and other pregnancy outcomes.
Lim H, Choi EY, Cho Y, Lee H, Mehrabadi A, Han JY, Lee SH, Shin JY. Hum Reprod Open. 2026 Jul 17;2026(3):hoag065.
This large population-based study found no association between benzodiazepine use throughout the IVF cycle and pregnancy outcomes. Although a small increase in preterm birth risk was observed, there was no evidence of a dose-response relationship or additional risk among patients exposed to both oral and injectable formulations during the assessment period.
PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS DURING PREGNANCY
Treating insomnia during pregnancy improves bedtime procrastination, rumination, anxiety, and positive affect: a randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based therapies for prenatal insomnia.
Kalmbach DA, Reffi AN, Cheng P, Kaliush PR, Jennings MB, Afaneh HA, Yu A, Jaziri M, Drake CL. Sleep Adv. 2026 Apr 30;7(2):zpag050.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and Perinatal Understanding of Mindful Awareness for Sleep (PUMAS) were effective interventions for alleviating prenatal insomnia and also improved mood and anxiety.
MEDICATIONS AND PREGNANCY
Safety of Psychotropic Medications During Pregnancy: An Update on Antidepressants and Mood Stabilizers.
Raffi ER, Nonacs R, Cohen LS. Clin Perinatol. 2026 Sep;53(3):515-534.
This review summarizes updated evidence on the safety and efficacy of antidepressants and mood stabilizers during pregnancy, emphasizing individualized risk-benefit decision-making and the risks associated with untreated psychiatric illness.
Safety of Psychotropic Medications During Pregnancy: An Update on Antipsychotics, Anxiolytics, Sedative-Hypnotics, Stimulants, and Medications for Treatment of Substance Use Disorders.
Raffi ER, Nonacs R, Cohen LS. Clin Perinatol. 2026 Sep;53(3):535-549.
This review updates evidence on the safety and efficacy of antipsychotics, anxiolytics, sedative-hypnotics, stimulants, and medications for substance use disorders in pregnancy, incorporating the risks of both medication exposure and undertreated illness.
Perinatal Safety of Quetiapine During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Evidence Gaps.
Quetiapine is not associated with an increased risk of major malformations and does not significantly raise adverse perinatal outcomes compared with controls. Dose-related metabolic risks underscore the importance of minimizing dosage and closely monitoring metabolism during pregnancy. The risk of gestational diabetes is dose dependent.
Hypnotics use during pregnancy and the risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, and major congenital malformations: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study.
Takeuchi Y, Adomi M, Ueda N, Kawakami C, Ito S, Goto A; Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group. J Epidemiol. 2026 Aug 1.
Hypnotic medication use in late pregnancy was associated with a small increase in risk of preterm birth and low birth weight; however, the study design could not exclude possible confounding by indication.
Effects of antidepressant treatment on fetal development and obstetric complications: A retrospective ultrasound study.
Riediker A, Ochsenbein-Kölble N, Simões-Wüst AP, Winterfeld U, Seifritz E, Paulzen M, Schoretsanitis G. J Psychiatr Res. 2026 Oct;201:629-634.
Antidepressant treatment during pregnancy was not associated with differences in fetal growth or major obstetric outcomes. Small variations observed in biparietal diameter were of uncertain significance, and neonatal Apgar findings were consistent with previously reported mild and transient adaptation symptoms.
Antiseizure medication use in pregnancy and the risk of poor fetal growth in the EURAP international registry: a prospective cohort study.
Perucca P, Malpas CB, Berry-Noronha A, Walker SP, Kalincik T, Moche Kamga B, Alvestad S, Craig J, Sabers A, Vajda FJE, Battino D, Perucca E, Tomson T; EURAP Collaborators. Lancet Neurol. 2026 Sep;25(9):840-851.
In addition to congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental effects, poor fetal growth should be regarded as an important adverse outcome of prenatal antiseizure medication exposure. Risk varies across individual monotherapies and specific combinations and increases with the number of concomitant antiseizure medications. Birthweight centile was lower with topiramate, phenobarbital, oxcarbazepine, carbamazepine, valproic acid, and levetiracetam than with lamotrigine; polytherapy had a greater negative impact on fetal growth than monotherapy.
Association of maternal depression and antidepressant use during pregnancy with child allergic risk: A nationwide cohort study.
Su JA, Chang SJ, Yang YH, Lee CP, Chen KJ, Aljaberi MA, Chen CY, Lin CY. Psychiatry Res. 2026 Jul 30;365:117353.
After adjustment for measured confounders, no statistically significant association was observed between maternal depression, with or without antidepressant treatment, and offspring allergic disease risk in the primary analysis.
POSTPARTUM PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS
Postpartum Depression in the United States: A Systematic Review of Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Contemporary Management With Emphasis on Emerging Therapeutic and Digital Care Models.
Ojo-Rowland MT, Okobi OE, Madubuike IC, Kimble R, Akinboboye AC, Igbadumhe R, Anyata A, Yusuf K, Awosan WR. Cureus. 2026 May 31;18(5):e109962.
This systematic review identifies prior mental illness, low social support, unintended pregnancy, and psychosocial stressors as important risk factors for postpartum depression.
Effect of Citrus aurantium capsules on peripartum anxiety and postpartum blues: A randomized triple-blind clinical trial.
Ahmadinia F, Sharifi F, Ghaderi H, Deris F, Shabanian S. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2026 Jun 22.
Citrus aurantium capsules reduced anxiety during and after childbirth.
MEDICATIONS AND BREASTFEEDING
No articles this week
PERINATAL SUBSTANCE USE
Discretionary Child Protective Services Reporting for Infants With Prenatal Opioid Exposure.
Khazanchi R, Schiff DM, Egan E, Preer G, Shafer PR, Austad K, Barber CM, Elansary M, Selcer R, Green KA, Okopie T, Modest AM, Wachman EM, Hsu HE. Pediatrics. 2026 Aug 13:e2025075126.
Implementation of guideline-informed discretionary reporting for infants with prenatal opioid exposure did not lead to differential impacts by race or ethnicity. The largest decreases in reporting were observed among infants with prescribed opioid exposure only and no other substance coexposures.
Sleep Motives and Expectancies for Cannabis Use in Pregnancy.
Miller MB, Sieger ML, Moskal KR, Marut E, Gupta S, Wycoff AM. Cannabis. 2026 Jul 15;9(2):135-151.
Among 185 women continuing cannabis use during pregnancy, 119 reported using cannabis “mostly” or “almost always” to help with sleep.
Evidence-informed approaches to medication management for opioid use disorder in special populations: A narrative review.
Atoui Z, Fakhri A, Malhotra A, Tang YL. J Addict Dis. 2026 Jul 7:1-11.
This narrative review summarizes evidence-informed medication management for opioid use disorder in special populations, including pregnant and postpartum individuals. It emphasizes individualized treatment planning, medication continuity, and attention to clinical and social barriers to care.
Behavioral Health and Substance Use Correlates of E-Cigarette Use in Early Pregnancy.
Young-Wolff KC, Bhattacharya S, Adams SR, Kline-Simon A, Prochaska JJ, Kuzniewicz MW, Does MB, Ansley D, Castellanos C, Nugent JR. Am J Prev Med. 2026 Jun 7:108477.
Among 180,350 pregnancies, 1.1% reported prenatal e-cigarette use. In adjusted models, e-cigarette use was more prevalent among individuals with depression (aPR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.45-2.04), intimate partner violence (aPR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.15-1.66), and other substance use (aPRs = 1.97-4.59; P < .05). Increasing frequency of alcohol, cannabis, and opioid use was associated with higher e-cigarette prevalence.
MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD OUTCOMES
No articles this week
MENOPAUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Mapping the Landscape of ADHD Research in Girls and Women: A Scoping Review and Network Analysis.
Ryu S, Kim S, Zylowska L, Seo J. J Atten Disord. 2026 Jul 21:10870547261468155.
This scoping review and network analysis maps the literature on ADHD in girls and women, identifying research patterns and gaps across the life span. The findings underscore the need for more sex-specific research on diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and outcomes in women with ADHD.
OTHER TOPICS IN WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH
Considerations for Medicaid Agencies in Implementing Pregnant and Postpartum Work Requirement Exemptions.
The H.R. 1 legislation, signed into law by President Trump in July 2025, requires “able-bodied” adults enrolled in Medicaid to report 80 hours per month of “community engagement,” including work, volunteering, or school, to remain eligible for Medicaid coverage beginning January 1, 2027. This article considers implications for pregnant and postpartum individuals and the importance of implementing work-requirement exemptions.
Mental health deaths may be missed in maternal data.
Suicides and drug overdoses likely contribute significantly to maternal mortality rates, but stigma and inadequate data make accurate reporting more difficult.
