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.
Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD
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| Premenstrual Disorder Linked to Perinatal Depression
Premenstrual mood disorders were associated with a higher risk of subsequent perinatal depression (OR 4.76, 95% CI [4.52,5.01]; p < 0.001). Compared to their matched controls, women with perinatal depression were at higher risk of subsequent premenstrual disorders (HR 1.81, 95% CI [1.74,1.88]; p < 0.001). |
INFERTILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH |
| No articles this week |
PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS DURING PREGNANCY |
| Intimate partner violence across pregnancy and the postpartum and the relationship to depression and perinatal wellbeing: findings from a pregnancy cohort study.
Women experiencing IPV across the perinatal period were significantly more likely to score over 13 on the EPDS (p < .001) at each timepoint in pregnancy and the postpartum and physical IPV was associated with clinical depression. Further, a history of childhood trauma and current additional stressful life events were significantly associated with reporting current IPV in the perinatal period. Digital screening for mental health in pregnancy and postpartum: A systematic review – PubMed When planning to implement digital screening, consideration should be made to have adequate training, education and manageable workload for healthcare professionals (HCP’s). Organisational resources and support are important, as well as the choice of the appropriate digital screening assessment and application setting for women. Theory-informed recommendations are provided for both healthcare professionals and women to inform future clinical practice. Postpartum blues: a predictor of postpartum depression, from the IGEDEPP cohort – PubMed The prevalence of postpartum blues in this population was 33%, and significant factors associated with postpartum blues were found as personal (aOR = 1.2) and family psychiatric history (aOR = 1.2), childhood trauma (aOR = 1.3), obstetrical factors, or events related to the newborn, as well as an experience of stressful life events during pregnancy (aOR = 1.5). These factors had a cumulative effect, with each additional factor increasing the risk of postpartum blues by 31%. Furthermore, adjustment for sociodemographic measures and history of major depressive episode revealed a significant association between postpartum blues and postpartum depression, mainly at early onset, within 8 weeks after delivery (aOR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.6-2.7), but also at late onset (aOR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1-1.9), and mainly if the postpartum blues is severe. In both parents, prenatal anxiety and depressive symptoms predicted postnatal depressive and anxiety symptoms. |
MEDICATIONS AND PREGNANCY |
| No articles this week |
POSTPARTUM PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS |
| Racism-related stress and mental health among black women living in Los Angeles County, California: A comparison of postpartum mood and anxiety disorder screening scales – PubMed
The majority of participants (80.5%, N = 186) experienced racism a few times a year or more, of which 37.1% (N = 69) were bothered somewhat and 19.3% (N = 36) a lot. Racism-related stress, income, level of education, and history of mental health diagnosis explained greater variance in postpartum mood and anxiety symptoms. Medicaid enrollment was associated with a 20.5-percentage-point increase in any use of prescription medication or outpatient mental health treatment. Brexanolone was linked to a reduction in symptoms lasting at least 3 months. pfMRI is feasible in postpartum patients receiving brexanolone and has the potential to elucidate individual-specific mechanisms of action. |
MEDICATIONS AND BREASTFEEDING |
| No articles this week |
PERINATAL SUBSTANCE USE |
| No articles this week |
MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD OUTCOMES |
| Examining the interaction between prenatal stress and polygenic risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder on brain growth in childhood: Findings from the DREAM BIG consortium – PubMed
This study observed an interaction between prenatal stress and ADHD PGS on mean cortical thickness annual rate of change in Generation R (i.e., in individuals with higher ADHD PGS, higher prenatal stress was associated with a lower rate of cortical thinning, whereas in individuals with lower ADHD PGS, higher prenatal stress was associated with a higher rate of cortical thinning). Mothers with early, remitted clinical depression and mothers with no postpartum depression rated their infants similarly on communication, daily living skills, and socialization. Mothers with early, remitted clinical depression rated their infants poorer in motor skills. |
MENOPAUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH |
| Promoting good mental health over the menopause transition. |
OTHER TOPICS IN WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH |
| Prenatal Inflammation Linked to Offspring Depression in Adolescence
Mothers Often Engage in Nonrecommended Practices for Infant Sleep |
