2013 - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Calcium Less Effective than SSRI for PMDD and Severe PMS

About 75% of women with regular menstrual cycles report unpleasant physical or psychological symptoms premenstrually. For the majority of women, these symptoms are mild and tolerable. However, some women have more severe and disabling symptoms, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Several years ago, a large, multicenter trial of calcium supplementation found that calcium (600 mg twice a day) significantly reduced both the physical and emotional symptoms of PMS; however, it has not been clear whether calcium supplementation might be effective for more severe premenstrual symptoms or PMDD.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T08:43:08-04:00September 11th, 2013|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|0 Comments

Research from the CWMH: Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids Effective for Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms?

Approximately seventy percent of all women experience hot flashes and/or night sweats during the menopause transition (Stearns et al, 2002). Until recently, estrogen therapy was the treatment of choice for most women who sought treatment for hot flashes, but today many women are pursuing non-hormonal treatments, including over-the-counter complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) for the treatment of these symptoms.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2016-03-28T13:33:37-04:00September 5th, 2013|Menopausal Symptoms, New Research|0 Comments

What is the Link between PMS and Postpartum Depression?

Women with premenstrual symptoms (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder experience symptoms during the premenstrual phase of their cycles. Because levels of estrogen and progesterone do not differ significantly between women with PMS and those without, it has long been hypothesized that PMS/PMDD represents an abnormal response to normal hormonal fluctuations (Schmidt et al, 1998).

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T08:52:12-04:00August 29th, 2013|PMS and PMDD, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|0 Comments

Menopausal Hot Flashes More Severe in Cancer Survivors

In a recent study comparing hot flashes in 934 cancer survivors (90% of whom had breast cancer) and 155 age-matched control subjects who never had cancer, researches observed that cancer survivors reported more frequent, severe, and troubling hot flashes.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T08:56:48-04:00August 20th, 2013|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

Risk of Depression in the Mothers of Older Children

Many studies have assessed the risk of depression in the mothers of infants, but fewer studies have focused on the risk of depression in the mothers with older children.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T08:59:38-04:00August 13th, 2013|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|1 Comment

Postpartum Depression in Women with Babies in the NICU

Having a newborn child to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is stressful to parents. It would be easy to imagine that in this environment, women may be more vulnerable to postpartum depression (PPD). A recent study assessed the incidence of PPD in a total of 131 mothers with infant admitted to the NICU.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T09:06:17-04:00August 13th, 2013|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|0 Comments

New FDA Pregnancy Category Labeling: Still Waiting…

This is a very nice article published by the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists discussing the limitations of the current FDA pregnancy category labeling system.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T09:08:09-04:00August 6th, 2013|Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|0 Comments

Postpartum Depression Associated with Short Stature in Children

We write often here about the negative effects of postpartum depression on the child. Most of the studies thus far have focused on behavior and cognitive development; a recent study from researchers at JohnsHopkinsUniversity suggests that being exposed to maternal depression during the first year of life may negatively affect the physical development of the child as well.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T09:13:15-04:00July 29th, 2013|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|0 Comments

Clinical Hypnosis is Effective for Menopausal Hot Flashes

In a recent randomized, single-blind, controlled, clinical trial, 187 postmenopausal women reporting at least 7 hot flashes per day received five weekly sessions of either clinical hypnosis or structured-attention control. Hot flash score were assessed by daily diaries on weeks 2 to 6 and at week 12.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T09:22:09-04:00July 26th, 2013|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

FDA Approves Nonhormonal Drug for Hot Flashes: Low-Dose Paroxetine to be Marketed as Brisdelle

The FDA recently approved a 7.5-mg formulation of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine mesylate for the treatment of hot flashes. It will be marketed under the name of Brisdelle.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T09:25:00-04:00July 15th, 2013|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

Yearly Archives: 2013