• anxiety

    Research from the CWMH: Duloxetine for Menopausal Symptoms

    A substantial proportion of women transitioning into menopause experience a new onset or recurrence of depressive symptoms.  A new study from the Center for Women’s Mental Health indicates that duloxetine (Cymbalta) is effective for the treatment of depression and may also have a beneficial effect on vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats).

    Screening for Peripartum Anxiety Disorders: What Are the Best Screening Tools?

    A significant number of women experience anxiety symptoms during pregnancy, with about 8.5% of women meeting criteria for generalized anxiety disorder.  Other anxiety disorders are less common.   The estimated prevalence of panic disorder during pregnancy is 1-2%.   The estimated prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder is 0.2-1.2%.  While we use certain tools, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to screen for depression during pregnancy, what are the best tools for indentifying women with clinically significant anxiety symptoms?

    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.   

    Childhood Somatic Symptoms May Be Related to Early Exposure to Maternal Depression or Anxiety

    About 10-30% of children have functional somatic symptoms (FSS).  These are physical complaints, such as headaches, pain, fatigue, and dizziness, that cannot be explained medically. A new study suggests that when a child is exposed to depression or anxiety in the mother during the first year of life, he or she is more likely to report these somatic symptoms later on.

    New Research from the CWMH: Surgically Induced Menopause No Worse than Natural in Terms of Risk for Depression, Anxiety

    Each year about 600,000 women in the United States undergo a hysterectomy.  Somewhere between 55% and 80% of these women who also have their ovaries removed along with the uterus—a procedure known as oophorectomy.  After the removal of the ovaries, menopause follows immediately and is associated with a constellation of symptoms including hot flashes and insomnia, as well as depression and anxiety. 

    New Research from the CWMH: History of Depression and Anxiety Predict Lower Quality of Life in Midlife Women

    The National Comorbidity Survey estimates that by the time women reach midlife, approximately 23% have experienced at least one episode of major depression and 30% have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.  Depression and anxiety disorders are each associated with impaired functioning and lower quality of life (QOL).  There is also some data to suggest that, even after a depressive episode resolves, those with a history of a affective illness have a lower quality of life than those without histories of depression, with impairment in social and interpersonal functioning.

    Infertility Increases Risk of Serious Psychiatric Illness

    Multiple small studies have demonstrated a link between infertility and psychological distress, reporting high rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms among women with infertility.  These studies have evaluated psychiatric symptoms or psychological distress; however, less is known about the prevalence of more significant psychiatric disorders in this population.  

    Measuring the Effects of Antidepressants versus Untreated Depression on Pregnancy Outcomes

    Multiple studies have demonstrated an increased risk of poor neonatal adaptation associated with exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants in late pregnancy.  Results in the literature consistently indicate that about 25%-30% of infants exposed to SSRIs late in pregnancy manifest symptoms of poor neonatal adaption, including jitteriness, restlessness, increased muscle tone, rapid breathing.  These symptoms are transient, resolving spontaneously with no specific medical intervention.

    Acupuncture Helpful for Reducing Anxiety in Women Undergoing IVF

    Most women undergoing infertility treatment experience increased anxiety.  In a randomized clinical trial, researchers explored the effectiveness of acupuncture in diminishing anxiety in a group of women undergoing IVF.  43 patients undergoing IVF received either active acupuncture (n=22) or sham treatment (n=21).  Women with a history of psychiatric illness and those using antidepressants and/or anxiolytic drugs were excluded from the study.  Anxiety levels were assessed before and after treatment using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAS). 

    Infertility Treatment is Stressful: But Does Stress Affect the Chances of Getting Pregnant?

    It is common for women experiencing infertility and undergoing fertility treatment to experience significant emotional distress.  Many women, reasoning that their emotional health influences their physical functioning, worry that the stress and anxiety they experience in this context may hinder their ability to become pregnant.

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