Every week we review the most recent publications in women’s mental health, covering topics related to premenstrual symptoms, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women, perinatal substance use, and menopausal mental health. 

For more detailed descriptions of many of these topics, you can sign up to receive our weekly CWMH NEWSLETTER which comes out every Thursday.  

And don’t forget to visit ESSENTIAL READS – a curated selection of up-to-date and clinically relevant articles in women’s mental health.

Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD

PMS AND PMDD

No articles this week

 

INFERTILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH

No articles this week

 

PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS DURING PREGNANCY

The impact of major depressive disorder and antidepressant medication before and during pregnancy on obstetric and neonatal outcomes: A nationwide population-based study.

Wolgast E, Lilliecreutz C, Sydsjö G, Bladh M, Josefsson A.Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2021 Feb;257:42-50. 

Women with MDD and antidepressant medication prior to becoming pregnant are at increased risk for adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes compared to women without an MDD. Continuation of antidepressant medication during pregnancy somewhat increased the risk for adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes.

 

MEDICATIONS AND PREGNANCY

Active Surveillance of the Safety of Medications Used During Pregnancy.

Huybrechts KF, Kulldorff M, Hernández-Díaz S, Bateman BT, Zhu Y, Mogun H, Wang SV.  Am J Epidemiol. 2021 Jun 1;190(6):1159-1168.


Trajectories of antidepressant drugs during pregnancy: A cohort study from a community-based sample.

Cabaillot A, Bourset A, Mulliez A, Delorme J, Orri M, Vicard-Olagne M, Zenut MC, Tournier M, Gallot D, Authier N, Chenaf C, Laporte C.  Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2021 Mar;87(3):965-987. 

In this study carried out in France, out of 760 women chronically treated with antidepressants before their pregnancy, 55.8% stopped their treatment permanently in the first trimester, 20.4% discontinued it for a minimum of 3 months and resumed it postpartum, and 23.8% maintained it throughout pregnancy and postpartum. No sociodemographic or medical characteristics were associated with any trajectory group.


Long-term prenatal effects of antidepressant use on the risk of affective disorders in the offspring: a register-based cohort study.

Rommel AS, Momen NC, Molenaar NM, Liu X, Munk-Olsen T, Bergink V.  Neuropsychopharmacology. 2021 Jul;46(8):1518-1525. 

Children whose mothers continued antidepressants during pregnancy had an increased risk of affective disorders (HR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.08-1.34), compared with children whose mothers discontinued before pregnancy. However, continued paternal antidepressant use during pregnancy was associated with higher risk for offspring affective disorders (HR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.12-1.49), compared to discontinuation.

 

POSTPARTUM PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS

Risk factors for postpartum relapse in women at risk of postpartum psychosis: The role of psychosocial stress and the biological stress system.

Hazelgrove K, Biaggi A, Waites F, Fuste M, Osborne S, Conroy S, Howard LM, Mehta MA, Miele M, Nikkheslat N, Seneviratne G, Zunszain PA, Pawlby S, Pariante CM, Dazzan P.  Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2021 Jun;128:105218.

Childhood maltreatment (OR = 4.9, 95% CI 0.5-49.2) and higher daily cortisol in the third trimester of pregnancy (OR=3.7, 95% CI 1.2-11.6) predicted psychiatric relapse in the first 4 weeks postpartum in women at risk of postpartum psychosis 


General medical conditions and mortality in women with postpartum psychiatric disorders.

Johannsen BMW, Laursen TM, Bech BH, Munk-Olsen T.  Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2020 Dec;142(6):467-475. 

Women with mild-moderate PPD and severe PPD were at higher risk of any subsequent general medical condition (mild-moderate PPD: IRR 1.25 and severe PPD: IRR 1.35) compared to the female general population.  Mortality from both natural and unnatural causes was higher in both groups: Mild-moderate PPD: natural causes MRR 1.37; unnatural causes MRR 1.52; and severe PPD: natural causes MRR 1.42;  unnatural causes MRR 5.05.


Mood episodes in pregnancy and risk of postpartum recurrence in bipolar disorder: The Bipolar Disorder Research Network Pregnancy Study.

Perry A, Gordon-Smith K, Di Florio A, Craddock N, Jones L, Jones I.  J Affect Disord. 2021 Jul 22;294:714-722.

In a group of women with bipolar disorder, perinatal recurrence was high in both diagnostic groups (57% in type 1and 62% in type 2). Women with BD type 1were significantly more likely to experience mania/psychosis within 6 weeks postpartum (23%, n=22/96) compared to those with BD type 2(4%, n=1/25; p=0.042). In women with BD type 1,, mania/psychosis in pregnancy increased risk of mania/psychosis during the postpartum period (RR 7.0, p<0.001).  Experiencing a non-psychotic episode of depression during pregnancy also increased risk (RR 3.18, p=0.023) 


A pilot study of a group-based perinatal depression intervention on reducing depressive symptoms and improving maternal-fetal attachment and maternal sensitivity.

Alhusen JL, Hayat MJ, Borg L.  Arch Womens Ment Health. 2021 Feb;24(1):145-154.

This pilot study findings provide preliminary support for the benefits of a perinatal depression intervention, delivered in a group setting, on reducing depressive symptomatology, and improving maternal-fetal attachment and maternal sensitivity.

 

MEDICATIONS AND BREASTFEEDING

No articles this week

 

PERINATAL SUBSTANCE USE

Association of first trimester prescription opioid use with congenital malformations in the offspring: population based cohort study.

Bateman BT, Hernandez-Diaz S, Straub L, Zhu Y, Gray KJ, Desai RJ, Mogun H, Gautam N, Huybrechts KF.  BMJ. 2021 Feb 10;372:n102. 

Prescription opioids used in early pregnancy are not associated with a substantial increase in risk for most of the malformation types considered, although a small increase in the risk of oral clefts associated with their use is possible.


Prescription opioid use after vaginal delivery and subsequent persistent opioid use and misuse.

Zhu Y, Huybrechts KF, Desai RJ, Franklin JM, Hernandez-Diaz S, Krumme A, Straub L, Neuman M, Wunsch H, Levin R, Mogun H, Bateman BT.  Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2021 Mar;3(2):100304. 

Risk of opioids use was higher among pregnancies with an opioid prescription dispensed, with a relative risk of 2.57 (95% confidence interval, 2.43-2.72).

 

MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD OUTCOMES

Maternal depression and non-specific health complaints in the offspring: a cross-sectional study in Danish primary care.

Lyngsøe BK, Rytter D, Munk-Olsen T, Vestergaard CH, Christensen KS, Bech BH.  Br J Gen Pract. 2021 Jan 28;71(703):e105-e112.  Free article.

Treatment of maternal depression was associated with higher prevalence of daily health complaints and lower self-assessed health  in the offspring at age 11 years. The association was strongest for children of mothers with continued depression or relapse.


Attendance of routine childcare visits in primary care for children of mothers with depression: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Lyngsøe BK, Vestergaard CH, Rytter D, Vestergaard M, Munk-Olsen T, Bech BH.  Br J Gen Pract. 2018 Feb;68(667):e97-e104. 

Maternal depression seems to compromise attendance at routine child care visits.  


Maternal depression and childhood injury risk: A population-based cohort study in Denmark.

Lyngsøe BK, Munk-Olsen T, Vestergaard CH, Rytter D, Christensen KS, Bech BH.  Brain Behav. 2021 Mar;11(3):e02029. 

Maternal depression was associated with higher injury hazard in the offspring throughout childhood compared to offspring of mothers with no history of depression. The strongest association was seen for the first year of life. First-time maternal depression was most strongly associated with injury in the child, especially in the first year of life (aHR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.48-1.96). 

 

MENOPAUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH

The impact of cannabis use on vasomotor symptoms, mood, insomnia and sexuality in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a systematic review.

Mejia-Gomez J, Phung N, Philippopoulos E, Murphy KE, Wolfman W.  Climacteric. 2021 Mar 24:1-10. 

There is a paucity of literature on the impact of cannabis use in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women to alleviate menopausal symptoms, insomnia and anxiety.

 

OTHER TOPICS IN WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

No articles this week

 

 

 

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