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Remote Enrollment Initiated in MGH Study Assessing Mood Symptoms Across Infertility Treatment

We are pleased to announce the recent launch of an exciting new research initiative that is being conducted by the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women’s Mental Health.  The Symptom Tracking in Assisted Reproductive Technologies study (START study) will focus on understanding the risk factors for depressive relapse in women undergoing infertility treatments.  There has been a growing request in our clinical work to address the needs of women undergoing infertility treatments.  It is our hope that such a study will provide important information on the course and risk of depression in women undergoing fertility treatment and thus inform clinical care.

By |2016-03-28T13:32:10-04:00May 7th, 2013|Depressive Disorders, Infertility and Mental Health, Prevalence & Risk Factors, Research at CWMH|Comments Off on Remote Enrollment Initiated in MGH Study Assessing Mood Symptoms Across Infertility Treatment
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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 |2015-08-06T11:59:45-04:00April 2nd, 2013|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders|Comments Off on Screening for Postpartum Depression: New Data on the EPDS
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What’s Worse for Pregnancy: Bipolar Disorder or the Medications Used to Treat It?

In studies of pregnant women with unipolar depression, it has been shown that untreated psychiatric illness in the mother may have a negative impact on pregnancy outcomes, influencing the length of gestation and birthweight.  There is far less data on pregnancy outcomes in women with bipolar disorder.  A recent Swedish study analyzes pregnancy outcomes in treated and untreated women with bipolar disorder and attempts to distinguish between the effects of medication versus the effects of untreated psychiatric illness in the mother.

By |2024-03-24T11:55:47-04:00February 5th, 2013|Bipolar Disorder, Mood Stabilizers, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|Comments Off on What’s Worse for Pregnancy: Bipolar Disorder or the Medications Used to Treat It?
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Lithium Use During Pregnancy: What are the Long-Term Effects?

While we have data on the use of lithium use during pregnancy with regard to risk for congenital malformations, there is much less information on the long-term effects of lithium on neurodevelopment.  A recent study from the Perinatal Center of the Leiden University Medical Center provides some reassuring data on the long-term effects of lithium exposure.

By |2016-03-28T13:27:08-04:00September 5th, 2012|Child Outcomes, Mood Stabilizers, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off on Lithium Use During Pregnancy: What are the Long-Term Effects?
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Use of Antipsychotic Medications in Pregnancy Increases Risk of Gestational Diabetes

Atypical antipsychotic medications are commonly used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  Despite the increasing use of these medications in women of child-bearing age, there is still relatively little data regarding the reproductive safety of these medications. 

By |2024-04-14T16:18:01-04:00July 17th, 2012|Antipsychotic Medications, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Pregnancy Outcomes|Comments Off on Use of Antipsychotic Medications in Pregnancy Increases Risk of Gestational Diabetes
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Lithium and Breastfeeding

Bipolar disorder (types I and II) affect up to 5% of the population in the United States. As the onset of this condition typically occurs during or before the reproductive years, the management of bipolar disorder in women is often complicated by pregnancy. There are concerns regarding fetal exposure to medication, the impact of untreated maternal illness, and data demonstrating that women are at increased risk for relapse during the postpartum period.

By |2016-03-28T13:23:57-04:00May 12th, 2010|Breastfeeding & Medications, Mood Stabilizers, Outcomes|Comments Off on Lithium and Breastfeeding
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Anticonvulsant Use in Pregnancy and Nursing: Differences in Recommendations from Psychiatrists vs. Neurologists

There are strong parallels between the clinical management of bipolar disorder and epilepsy, and women with these disorders face significant challenges while pregnant or planning to conceive.  In this setting, treatment decisions must balance the risks of recurrence of severe illness with the risks of potential harm to the fetus when certain medicines are taken during pregnancy.

By |2016-03-28T13:23:58-04:00February 3rd, 2010|Anti-Epileptic Drugs, Breastfeeding & Medications, Mood Stabilizers, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off on Anticonvulsant Use in Pregnancy and Nursing: Differences in Recommendations from Psychiatrists vs. Neurologists
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New Research:  Treatment Decisions by Pregnant Women with Bipolar Disorder 

Choosing whether to maintain or discontinue mood stabilizer treatment during pregnancy requires weighing the risks of teratogenic outcomes associated with exposure to a particular drug against the risks of recurrence of untreated affective illness.   However, [...]

By |2016-03-28T13:23:58-04:00September 19th, 2009|Bipolar Disorder, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy, Treatment|Comments Off on New Research:  Treatment Decisions by Pregnant Women with Bipolar Disorder 
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