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. 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. (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. Although we typically emphasize postpartum depression, many women experience clinically significant symptoms of anxiety during pregnancy and the postpartum period. 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 [...]
Weekly Roundup for AUG 26 2016: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
In this week’s roundup, there are several interesting reviews. The first is from van der Zee-van den Berg AI (and colleagues with equally long names) on screening for postpartum depression at well-baby visits. From our group, Charlotte Hogan and Marlene Freeman have published a review on the adverse effects of pharmacologic treatment of bipolar disorder during pregnancy. And there is also a review of perinatal depression in the military from [...]
New Research from the CWMH: Prenatal Exposure to Atypical Antipsychotics Does Not Increase Risk of Malformations
The use of the newer “atypical” or second-generation antipsychotic agents continues to increase. These medications are used to treat a spectrum of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders. Although most of the women taking atypical antipsychotics are of childbearing age, our information on the reproductive safety of these newer atypical agents lags behind. When evaluating the reproductive safety of the atypical antipsychotics, the richest data [...]