Menstrual irregularities, including amenorrhea, are common among women with eating disorders. Given the menstrual abnormalities, there has been concern that women with eating disorders might be less likely to conceive naturally. A recent study has [...]
In our clinic at the Center for Women’s Mental Health, we see a significant number of women who come in for the treatment of depression and anxiety while undergoing infertility treatment. While for some women [...]
This week we are pleased to have a guest post from Dr. Anna Glezer. She is a perinatal psychiatrist practicing at the University of California San Francisco and the founder of Mind Body Pregnancy, a [...]
A new study suggests that a soy-rich diet may improve fertility in women undergoing infertility treatment. How? Researchers hypothesize that soy products may help to offset the the harmful effects of bisphenol A or BPA. [...]
Infertility and its treatment are enormously stressful. Previous studies have shown that women undergoing infertility treatment are more vulnerable to clinically significant anxiety and depressive symptoms. But what happens when the desired outcome is achieved? [...]
In a recent cross-sectional study from Denmark, researchers compared the prevalence of stress and depressive symptoms among 301 women with recurrent pregnancy loss (or RPL) and 1813 women attempting to conceive naturally. RPL was defined [...]
Back in 2009, we reported on a study which demonstrated that paroxetine (Paxil) may affect sperm quality in men treated with this antidepressant. A new study reports a similar finding in men treated with sertraline [...]
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.
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.
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.
