In Brief: The Complex Relationship Between Endometriosis and Depression
A meta-analysis of 24 studies, including 99,614 women, demonstrated higher levels of depression among women with endometriosis compared to unaffected controls. When researchers restricted the analysis to healthy controls, the association between endometriosis and depression was even stronger. Pain seemed to be the primary driver of the association between endometriosis and depression; in fact, rates of depression were similar between women with pelvic pain and endometriosis and women with pelvic pain [...]
Register Online MGH Conference on Women’s Mental Health – October 17, 2019
Over the last few years, we have seen an increasing number of women with substance use disorders in our clinic. We are very excited that Dr. Edwin Raffi from the Center for Women's Mental Health will speaking about treating this vulnerable population at our upcoming one day course in Women’s Mental Health in Boston on Thursday, October 17th. The treatment of this group of women is particularly challenging in that there [...]
Moving Forward with Brexanolone (Zulresso): Pilot Program at the Cleveland Clinic
It has been a few months since Zulresso (brexanolone), the new FDA-approved treatment for postpartum depression, has been available. At our clinic, we have had multiple queries regarding how to obtain treatment with Zulresso. One of the challenges in rolling out Zulresso is that, because of concerns about potentially serious side effects, it can only be administered at certified healthcare facilities. We do not have a list of these facilities; however, [...]
Weekly Roundup for SEPTEMBER 6, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
On this week’s list, we have multiple articles on the impact of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders on the pregnancy and on the family. While we clearly see an increased interest in identifying women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, less attention has been devoted to how to deliver care to this vulnerable patient population. We continue to hear stories of women, even those with financial resources and/or excellent health insurance, [...]
Psychiatric Illness More Common in Women Undergoing Oophorectomy
Not infrequently we see women who ask about the possibility of oophorectomy (surgical removal of the ovaries) as a means of managing what appears to be a menstrually related mood disorder. While this is an option rarely pursued, it appears that women with certain psychiatric conditions are more likely to undergo bilateral oophorectomy for non-malignant reasons. According to a recent study looking at 1,653 cases of oophorectomy and 1,653 age-matched controls, [...]
CBT for Insomnia During Pregnancy: Effective but Underutilized
While we tend to think of sleep deprivation as a postpartum issue, sleep problems are relatively common during pregnancy, with 15% to 80% of women reporting sleep problems during the first trimester and 66% to 97% of women in the third trimester. There are data to support the safety of certain sleep-promoting medications during pregnancy, including benzodiazepines and sedative-hypnotic agents (Z-drugs); however, many women would prefer to avoid the use of [...]