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So far MGH Center for Women's Mental Health has created 1457 blog entries.

Pregnancy Loss Increases the Risk of Postpartum Psychiatric Illness

Pregnancy loss may cause great psychological stress for women. How such a loss, whether or not the woman identifies it as a stressor, affects her emotional well-being after the birth of a future child is unknown.  In order to better understand the relationship between pregnancy loss and risk for postpartum psychiatric illness, researchers assessed 192 women at their first-year pediatric well-child care visits in an urban pediatric clinic.  In this group of low income mothers, 49% of the women reported a previous pregnancy loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, or induced abortion).

By |2015-08-05T14:50:05-04:00September 23rd, 2013|Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Pregnancy Loss, Prevalence & Risk Factors|Comments Off on Pregnancy Loss Increases the Risk of Postpartum Psychiatric Illness
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Eating Disorders and Their Impact on Pregnancy Outcomes

Eating disorders are relatively common among women of reproductive age, yet the literature on the effects of maternal eating disorders (ED) on pregnancy outcomes is relatively sparse.  There has been concern that eating disorders may negatively affect gestational weight gain.  Previous studies have demonstrated an association between maternal anorexia nervosa (AN) (both active and past) and lower infant birthweight (as compared to women with no history of ED); however, calculations of the magnitude of this effect have been inconsistent. 

By |2015-08-05T14:52:16-04:00September 16th, 2013|Eating Disorders, Outcomes, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Pregnancy Outcomes|Comments Off on Eating Disorders and Their Impact on Pregnancy Outcomes
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Brief Screening Tools for Postpartum Depression

Various screening tools have been used to identify women with postpartum depression (PPD.  The most widely used self-report tools for detection of PPD are the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) having ten and 21 items, respectively. However, the EPDS and the BDI may be too lengthy to use for quickly screening patients in obstetric, primary care, or pediatric settings.

By |2015-08-05T14:53:55-04:00September 13th, 2013|Diagnosis & Screening, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off on Brief Screening Tools for Postpartum Depression
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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 |2015-08-06T08:43:08-04:00September 11th, 2013|PMS & PMDD, Treatment|Comments Off on Calcium Less Effective than SSRI for PMDD and Severe PMS
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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 |2016-03-28T13:33:37-04:00September 5th, 2013|Alternative & Complementary, Menopausal Symptoms, Research at CWMH, Treatment, Vasomotor Symptoms|Comments Off on Research from the CWMH: Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids Effective for Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms?
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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 |2015-08-06T08:52:12-04:00August 29th, 2013|PMS & PMDD, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Prevalence & Risk Factors|Comments Off on What is the Link between PMS and Postpartum Depression?
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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 |2015-08-06T08:56:48-04:00August 20th, 2013|Menopausal Symptoms, Prevalence & Risk Factors|Comments Off on Menopausal Hot Flashes More Severe in Cancer Survivors
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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 |2015-08-06T09:06:17-04:00August 13th, 2013|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off on Postpartum Depression in Women with Babies in the NICU
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