Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

A Simple Educational Intervention Reduces the Risk of Postpartum Intervention

While postpartum depression can affect all women, there are certain populations which appear to be at particularly high risk, including women of lower socioeconomic status. These women have limited access to resources and have multiple stressors including housing problems, financial strain, and being a single parent. Researchers recently piloted an intervention randomized controlled trial involving 540 participants at an inner-city hospital in East Harlem, New York. The primary goal of this psychoeducational intervention was to reduce the risk of postpartum depression among black and Latina mothers.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T14:08:04-04:00July 2nd, 2012|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Prevention|Comments Off

Postpartum PTSD is Probably More Common Than You Think

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in approximately 10% of all women at some point in their lifetime. PTSD tends to occur more commonly in women during their childbearing years, yet we have only recently begun to look more closely at the incidence of PTSD associated with childbirth.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T14:40:47-04:00June 12th, 2012|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Prevalence & Risk Factors, PTSD and Stress Related Disorders|Comments Off

Postpartum Psychosis Can be Prevented in Women at High Risk

Women with bipolar disorder or history of postpartum psychosis are at high risk for postpartum psychosis; appropriate interventions significantly decrease this risk.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2021-12-06T09:21:55-04:00June 6th, 2012|Medication, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Postpartum Psychosis, Prevention|Comments Off

CBT for the Prevention of Postpartum OCD

Given the prevalence of postpartum OCD and obsessive symptoms in women with postpartum depression, we should devote more time to this topic. This is an informative and well-written article by Alice Wolton on postpartum OCD in Forbes. In this piece, she mentions a recent study from Timpano and colleagues at the University of Miami where cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was used to prevent postpartum OCD.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T14:52:07-04:00June 5th, 2012|Anxiety Disorders, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Prevention, Psychotherapy|Comments Off

A Blood Test for Identifying Women at Risk for Postpartum Depression?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could identify women who were at risk for postpartum depression (PPD)? Maybe if we could do that, we could actually prevent the depression from occurring. Or at least, we could intervene in some way so that the depression would not significantly affect the mother and her family.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T14:59:41-04:00June 4th, 2012|Diagnosis & Screening, Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off

Children of Depressed Mothers Exposed to Multiple Risk Factors for Psychopathology

Multiple studies have concluded that the children of depressed mothers are at increased risk for behavioral problems and other mental health issues. Data from 7429 mother–child pairs participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in the UK indicate that maternal depression (assessed when the children were 1.5 year old) is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric diagnoses in the children at 7.5 years of age.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T16:45:37-04:00March 12th, 2012|Depressive Disorders, Long-Term Outcomes, Outcomes, Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off

Autoimmune Thyroid Disease More Prevalent in Women with Postpartum Psychosis

Postpartum psychosis is the most severe form of postpartum psychiatric illness, occurring in approximately 1 to 2 per 1000 women after childbirth. Although bipolar disorder is a risk factor for postpartum psychosis, a substantial number of women who develop postpartum psychosis have no history of psychiatric illness and experience psychiatric illness only in the context of childbearing. What may cause or trigger postpartum psychosis in this population is not well understood.

By Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD|2024-04-14T16:18:26-04:00November 8th, 2011|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Postpartum Psychosis, Prevalence & Risk Factors|Comments Off

Postpartum Depression and Poor Sleep Quality Occur Together

In a new mother, sleep is disrupted by repeated awakenings of the infant, but hormonal factors also seem to play a role. Immediately after childbirth, levels of the reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone, drop precipitously. It is believed that, because these hormones modulate neurotransmitter systems in the brain responsible for sleep quality, this dramatic hormonal shift may cause significant disruptions in sleep.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-07-28T14:36:07-04:00June 6th, 2011|Depressive Disorders, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Prevalence & Risk Factors, Sleep Disorders|Comments Off

American Academy of Pediatrics Recommends Screening for Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is experienced by 10-15% of women and carries risks to both mother and baby. Untreated maternal depression is associated with negative outcomes for children including behavioral problems, cognitive or developmental delays and impaired attachment. Treatment of a mother’s depression can improve not only her own functioning and quality of life, but can improve her children’s symptoms as well (Pilowsky 2008). Given the importance of a mother’s mental health on her baby’s well-being, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a recent report which recommends that pediatricians screen mothers for postpartum depression at baby’s one-, two-, and four-month visits (Earls 2010).

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-13T11:48:28-04:00January 10th, 2011|Depressive Disorders, Diagnosis & Screening, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off

ACOG Focuses on Smoking Cessation in Pregnant and Postpartum Women

In the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued recommendations to providers regarding efforts to support smoking cessation in pregnant and postpartum women.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2017-05-05T11:50:17-04:00November 10th, 2010|Nicotine, Perinatal Substance Use, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Prevention, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|Comments Off