Postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency, but temporary and treatable. In this podcast episode, survivors share early warning signs, treatment, and recovery—helping families and clinicians recognize and respond quickly.
In a recent study from Mass General Hospital, researchers examined whether information included in the medical record at the time of discharge after delivery could help us to identify individuals at increased risk for postpartum depression.
Understanding important differences between men and women in terms of response to antipsychotic medications is essential to improving outcomes and decreasing risk for side effects.
 Multiple studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of antidepressant medications for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD).  Most of the these studies focused on the impact of these medications on depressive symptoms; however, it is [...]
This is a relatively small study but I think it underscores the importance of screening for and treating depression during pregnancy. Previous studies have indicated that about 10% to 15% of women experience clinically significant [...]
A recent study suggests that physical exercise during pregnancy may reduce depressive symptoms. This study from Spain included 184 healthy pregnant women (31.37 ± 3.62 years). Women randomized to the exercise group (EG) participated in a supervised exercise program consisting of three, 55- to 60-min sessions per week throughout pregnancy. A total of 167 pregnant women were analyzed; 90 in the exercise group and 77 in the control group. Significant differences were found between the two groups at the end of the study in terms of level of depressive symptoms as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D): 7.67 ± 6.30 in the exercise group vs. 11.34 ± 9.74 in the control group (p = .005). The percentage of women who were depressed was also lower in the exercise group (12.2%) as compared to the control group (24.7%).
