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About ten years ago, we ran a collaborative project with our obstetrics department here at MGH where we screened all new mothers for postpartum depression. Â The screening went well. Â Nearly all the women completed the [...]
Stressful life events occurring during pregnancy and the postpartum period have consistently been identified as a risk factor for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Â While we have instruments to assess for stressful life events and [...]
As a field we have focused primarily on the detection of  perinatal mood and anxiety disorders; however, one should be aware of the growing body of literature that suggests that  certain interventions may actually decrease [...]
Vitamin D deficiency is more common than ever, and many experts are concerned that this deficiency may lead to a wide variety of health problems, including depression. Â The active form of vitamin D is produced [...]
Perinatal depression is defined as depressive illness which emerges during pregnancy (antenatal depression) or following childbirth (postpartum depression). Â We have limited information regarding the genetic basis of perinatal depression, but several studies suggest that the [...]
Women with bipolar disorder (BD) are at extremely high risk for postpartum psychiatric illness, specifically postpartum psychosis. Â While the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology now recommends that all women be screened for depression during [...]
A recent study examined the prevalence of perinatal depression in diabetic and non-diabetic women. Â This was a prospective cohort of women recruited from a clinic serving low-income women in Chicago, Illinois. Â Women were identified as [...]
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for mood and anxiety disorders and has been shown to be effective for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD). However, not all women have access to CBT-savvy therapists. [...]
Postpartum psychosis is the most severe form of postpartum psychiatric illness, affecting about 1 out of every 1000 births. Postpartum psychosis occurs most frequently in first-time mothers, typically within the first two weeks after delivery. [...]
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a relatively common problem, affecting between 10% and 15% of women after delivery. Although it is difficult to reliably predict which women in the general population will experience postpartum mood disturbance, [...]
