Postpartum Depression: Focus on Managing Comorbid Anxiety Symptoms
 Multiple studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of antidepressant medications for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD).  Most of the these studies focused on the impact of these medications on depressive symptoms; however, it is clear that many, or maybe most, women with PPD also have significant anxiety symptoms.  Thus, we can hypothesize that medications which have both antidepressant and anxiolytic effects would be the most beneficial for the treatment of [...]
Weekly Roundup for SEP 17 2016: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
 Heading the list are two important reviews: one on postpartum psychosis from the American Journal of Psychiatry and another on the topic of perinatal suicide.  On the list, you will also find several interesting articles on the association between infertility treatment and postpartum depression (Tendais andFigueiredo, Gressier et al). Postpartum Psychosis: Madness, Mania, and Melancholia in Motherhood. Bergink V, Rasgon N, Wisner KL. Am J Psychiatry. 2016 Sep 9  [Epub [...]
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale for Postpartum Depression: Three Items Better Than Ten
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the screening instrument most commonly used to identify women with postpartum mood disorders. Â This is a 10-item questionnaire which has been validated in many different populations and is available in almost every language. On this scale, a score of 10 or greater or an affirmative answer on question 10 (presence of suicidal thoughts) is suggestive of postpartum depression. Â (Setting the cut-off score of 12 [...]
Taking a Look at the New FDA Pregnancy Labeling and Lactation Rule
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed major revisions to prescription drug labeling in order to provide more accurate and helpful information on the effects of medications used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The system used by the FDA for the last 30 years classifies the reproductive safety of medications using five risk categories (A, B, C, D and X) based on data derived from human and animal studies. While [...]
Weekly Roundup for SEP 9 2016: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Lately we are seeing more articles about postpartum anxiety. Â Although we typically emphasize postpartum depression, many women experience clinically significant symptoms of anxiety during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Â This week we have one article from Goodman and colleagues focusing on postpartum anxiety and another from Biaggi et al which discusses anxiety during pregnancy. Anxiety disorders in postpartum women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Goodman JH, Watson GR, Stubbs B. J [...]
In Brief: CBT for Menopausal Sleep Problems Produces Lasting Effects
 Peri- and postmenopausal women frequently complain of insomnia or poor sleep quality. Sleep disturbance is often attributed to nocturnal hot flashes; however, many menopausal women may have a primary sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome. Various pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic options are available for the treatment of menopause-related insomnia.   The findings of a recent study using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for the management of menopausal sleep problems was [...]