MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Being a Mother Scale: A New Instrument for Assessing the Experience of Motherhood

In our weekly clinical rounds, we recently discussed how motherhood is such a unique and personal experience for each woman. Often it is assumed that this transition into a new role is easy when for many it is not. How we assess a woman's experiences during the postpartum period is often limited to just her mood. I recently came across a new self-report instrument, The Being a Mother Scale (BaM-13) developed by Stephen Matthey which attempts to assess the “wider domain of the woman’s experience of motherhood” rather than just the presence or absence of a postpartum mood disorder.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T13:42:55-04:00January 15th, 2013|Diagnosis & Screening, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off

Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Depression: Which Comes First?

Most women have some nausea or vomiting, or "morning sickness", during the first trimester of pregnancy. Some women, however, have a more severe and persistent pattern of nausea and vomiting called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). A new study demonstrates, not so surprisingly, that depression is more common in women suffering from HG.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T13:44:18-04:00January 15th, 2013|Depressive Disorders, Prevalence & Risk Factors, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|Comments Off

No Increase in Risk of Infant Mortality in Women Taking SSRIs During Pregnancy

While there has been a great deal of attention paid to the risks of exposure to antidepressants, particularly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), during pregnancy, there has been comparatively little information on the risk of stillbirth and infant mortality in this population. In a recent population-based cohort study utilizing data from all Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden), researchers assessed the risk of stillbirth and infant mortality associated with the use of SSRIs during pregnancy.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T13:48:29-04:00January 9th, 2013|Anti-Epileptic Drugs, Neonatal Symptoms, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Pregnancy Outcomes|Comments Off

Dr. Lee Cohen in Ob-Gyn News: Using SSRIs in Pregnancy

Over the last decade, attention in the medical literature has gathered logarithmically to focus on potentially efficacious treatments for perinatal depression. Studies of relevant databases, editorials, and various reviews have addressed the reproductive safety concerns of antidepressant treatments, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on one hand, and the impact of untreated maternal psychiatric illness on fetal and maternal well-being on the other.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2024-03-31T10:40:13-04:00December 13th, 2012|Antidepressants, ObGyn News, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off

Brief Scales for Identifying Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

While most agree that there is a need for improved detection of anxiety and mood disorders in pregnant and postpartum women, there remain questions regarding the best instruments to use for screening. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (a questionnaire consisting of 10 items) has long been used to screen women for postpartum depression (PPD); however, it is unclear how well these questions could be incorporated into larger surveillance programs, such as the CDC-sponsored Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) which was designed to assess health behaviors and to screen for health problems, including depression and anxiety, in pregnant and postpartum women.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T13:54:12-04:00December 13th, 2012|Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Diagnosis & Screening, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off

Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression: What’s the Connection?

In our clinic, we often see women who come in for the treatment of depression and/or anxiety after the cessation of breastfeeding. Many question if breastfeeding may protect against postpartum depression and if the cessation of breastfeeding is a trigger for postpartum depression and/or anxiety. However, the research examining the association between postpartum depression and breastfeeding has been somewhat difficult to interpret.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2018-07-11T10:29:07-04:00December 10th, 2012|Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Prevalence & Risk Factors|Comments Off

SSRIs and Pregnancy: Putting the Risks and Benefits into Perspective

Prozac hit the market in 1988, the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression. Because it was safer and more tolerable than the antidepressants that preceded it, Prozac was soon the most commonly prescribed antidepressant in the United States.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-06T13:57:24-04:00December 6th, 2012|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Risk of Malformations|Comments Off

Duloxetine and Pregnancy: Preliminary Data

Duloxetine (sold in the United Sates under the brand name of Cymbalta) is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) effective for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Although used fairly commonly in women of child-bearing age, information regarding its reproductive safety has been lacking.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-10T09:09:55-04:00November 30th, 2012|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Risk of Malformations|Comments Off

SSRIs and Cardiovascular Malformations: Another Look

Over the last few years, we have reported on several studies which have suggested an increased risk of certain types of cardiovascular malformations among children exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy. The first reports suggested a link between cardiac septal defects and exposure to paroxetine; subsequent studies have also shown elevated risks with the other SSRIIs.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-10T14:03:04-04:00November 20th, 2012|Antidepressants, Pregnancy & Medications, Risk of Malformations|Comments Off

Exposure to Maternal Depression – Not Antidepressants – Predicts Worse Outcomes in Children

While data accumulated over the last 30 years suggest that certain antidepressants may be used with relative safety during pregnancy, our knowledge regarding the risks of prenatal exposure to psychotropic medications is incomplete. Because neuronal migration and differentiation occur throughout pregnancy and into the early years of life, development of the central nervous system (CNS) remains particularly vulnerable throughout pregnancy.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-10T14:09:05-04:00November 7th, 2012|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off

About MGH Center for Women's Mental Health