Treating insomnia, anxiety in a pandemic
Dr. Lee S. Cohen, Director of the Ammon-Pinizzotto Center for Women's Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital, recently shared his insights on treating insomnia and anxiety during pregnancy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with Ob.Gyn News on December 1st, 2020 Since the start of the pandemic, we have been conducting an extra hour of Virtual Rounds at the Center for Women’s Mental Health. Virtual Rounds has been an opportunity to discuss cases around [...]
Essential Reads: Mirtazapine (Remeron) and Pregnancy
This is the first installment of a new feature on our website: ESSENTIAL READS This is a kind of shortcut which allows you to find the most relevant reviews and articles in reproductive psychiatry. Each Wednesday, we will add a new article to the collection. In this section of our website, we will highlight the most up-to-date articles to help guide diagnosis, clinical decision-making, and treatment options. You can find [...]
Is Suicidality on the Rise in Pregnant and Postpartum Women?
Suicide is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States. According to a 2017 study from California, drug-related deaths (3.68 per 100,000 person-years) and suicides (1.42 per 100,000 person-years) accounted for nearly 20% of all maternal deaths. In a recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers observe that the prevalence of suicidal ideation and intentional self-harm in pregnant and postpartum women appears to be on the rise. In [...]
Childbirth-Related PTSD and Postpartum Depression Commonly Occur Together
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among women of child-bearing age. While we are increasingly attentive to screening for depressive symptoms during pregnancy and after delivery, less often do we inquire about PTSD symptoms. Childbirth-related PTSD (CB-PTSD) may be precipitated by a stressful or traumatic childbirth experience. Of note, childbirth-related PTSD is not limited to stillbirth or to deliveries associated with infant medical complications; in fact, as many as 25% [...]
Mindfulness Training During Pregnancy Reduces Risk of Postpartum Depression
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued recommendations that all pregnant and postpartum women should be evaluated in order to determine risk for depressive illness and recommends that women at increased risk for perinatal depression should be referred for counselling. While these recommendations focused primarily on the utility of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) in this setting, it is important to note that other behavioral and psychotherapeutic [...]
Weekly Roundup for NOVEMBER 20, 2020: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
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. Several articles this week discuss peripartum post-traumatic stress disorder. While OB-GYNs have become more comfortable with the diagnosis and management of postpartum depression, Canfield and colleagues argue that few obstetric providers are aware [...]