MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Screening for Postpartum Depression: New Data on the EPDS

For women the postpartum period is a time of increased vulnerability to mood disorders. Recent estimates indicate that about 20% of women will suffer from significant depressive symptoms during the year after the birth of a child. Despite a significant push over the last decade to identify and effectively treat women with mood disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period, treatment rates in this population remain unacceptably low. Furthermore, questions still remain regarding the optimal timing of screening and the best instruments to be used in this setting.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T11:59:45-04:00April 2nd, 2013|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off

L-Methylfolate for the Treatment of Depression: Can We Use it During Pregnancy?

Last summer, we posted a blog about using folate to treat (and perhaps prevent) depression in women of childbearing age. Supporting that recommendation are the several reports indicating that people with lower folate levels are at higher risk of major depression or may experience more severe depressive symptoms. Other studies have indicated that in folate-deficient patients, antidepressants may be less effective or may take longer to take effect.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2018-06-15T10:45:27-04:00March 25th, 2013|Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off

Postpartum Depression in New Fathers: Being Younger is A Risk Factor

While postpartum depression (PPD) is typically considered to be a woman’s illness, a number of studies have suggested that, although men do not experience any of the dramatic physiologic or hormonal changes that go along with pregnancy, new fathers may also suffer from PPD. Several recent studies yield information on how to better identify new fathers at risk for depression.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T12:57:20-04:00March 19th, 2013|Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Prevalence & Risk Factors|Comments Off

Using the EPDS to Screen for Anxiety Disorders: Conceptual and Methodological Considerations

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was designed to screen women for postnatal depression. Cox and Holden (2003) state that the EPDS was not designed to measure anxiety. However, recent emphasis on the importance of recognizing symptoms of perinatal anxiety disorders, coupled with findings in research, have led to the suggestion that the EPDS may be used as a multidimensional tool to screen for anxiety disorders in addition to depression during the perinatal period (Matthey et al, 2012).

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2016-11-04T14:35:42-04:00March 11th, 2013|Anxiety Disorders, Diagnosis & Screening, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|Comments Off

Antidepressants and Pregnancy: A Meta-Analysis Puts the Risks into a Larger Context

While some studies have shown an association between in utero exposure to antidepressants and various pregnancy outcomes, including preterm delivery, low birth weight, and lower Apgar scores, these outcomes have also been linked to untreated maternal depression. Thus, it has been difficult to determine if there is a causal relationship between antidepressant exposure and negative pregnancy outcomes or whether maternal depression is itself responsible for these negative outcomes.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T13:22:16-04:00March 1st, 2013|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Pregnancy Outcomes|Comments Off

Binge Drinking Common among Women of Reproductive Age

The CDC recently analyzed data from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to determine the prevalence, frequency, and intensity of binge drinking among adult women. Data from the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was used to assess current alcohol use and binge drinking among high school girls.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2018-07-10T15:57:55-04:00February 11th, 2013|Alcohol, Prevalence & Risk Factors, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|Comments Off

Can We Use Twitter to Identify Women at Risk for Postpartum Depression?

There are many approaches to predicting which women are likely to develop postpartum depression (PPD). Most of these utilize standardized questionnaires and/or screening by health care providers. While these approaches may be effective, they tend to be costly and labor-intensive. A new study pilots the use of social media in predicting which women at risk for postpartum mood disorders.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-07-29T12:08:16-04:00January 30th, 2013|Diagnosis & Screening, Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off

Selenium and Risk of Postpartum Depression

Women are strongly encouraged to take prenatal vitamins, and there is significant data to indicate multiple benefits to the child, including decreased risk of various congenital defects and certain types of childhood cancers. Less understood is the impact of these supplements on the mother’s mental status and her risk for mood disorder during the perinatal period. A group of researchers from Alberta, Canada has recently examined the risk for postpartum depressive symptoms in women enrolled in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study, specifically examining the nutrients ingested through supplements to determine whether any individual supplementary nutrients may modulate the risk of postpartum depressive symptoms.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T13:33:08-04:00January 28th, 2013|Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Prevalence & Risk Factors|Comments Off

Screening of Intimate Partner Violence Recommended for All Women of Reproductive Age

This is a topic we do not typically cover on our site, but it is clearly an important one. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has updated its recommendations on screening for family and intimate partner violence (IPV). These guidelines, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, recommend that all women of reproductive age be screened for intimate partner violence. The review provides some information on which screening instruments to use and reviews interventions to reduce the risk of IPV.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T13:36:28-04:00January 23rd, 2013|Diagnosis & Screening, General, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy, PTSD and Stress Related Disorders|Comments Off

Father’s Psychological Health and Its Impact on Child Development

While much attention has focused on the impact of maternal psychiatric illness on the well-being of the child, less is known about the impact of psychiatric illness in the father. A large population-based study from Norway examines the association between symptoms of psychological distress in expectant fathers and socioemotional and behavioral outcomes in their children at 36 months of age.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2017-03-28T09:56:33-04:00January 22nd, 2013|Child Outcomes, Depressive Disorders, Outcomes, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off

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