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.

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Happy Reading!

Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD

PMS AND PMDD

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INFERTILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH

How IVF has led to a record number of single moms in their 40s
NPR feature on how IVF access, cost, and changing norms have contributed to more single motherhood in the 40s.

PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS DURING PREGNANCY

Antipsychotic continuation during pregnancy and risk of postpartum relapse in women with schizophrenia: nationwide register-based study.
In women with schizophrenia, the risk of admission for psychosis in the 6-month postpartum period was 0.56 times (RRR, 95% CI 0.36-0.87) lower in those who continued antipsychotics during pregnancy than in discontinuers (IRR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.87-2.91).

Association of parental prenatal mental health with offspring neurodevelopmental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Maternal PMADs were associated with a significantly increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; odds ratio [OR] 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45-2.52) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD; OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.43-2.14) in children. Paternal PMADs were also associated with the risk of NDDs, with combined odds for ASD and ADHD (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.14-1.33). Several studies suggested that the link between parental PMADs and offspring NDDs might be impacted by both genetic and environmental factors, including the impact of ongoing parental depression on child behavior.

Relationships Between Body Composition and Mental Health During Pregnancy Are Moderated by Physical Activity and Diet
Higher body fat mass during pregnancy is associated with more symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, increased physical activity and adherence to high-quality diets can attenuate these effects, indicating that lifestyle interventions during pregnancy may improve mental health of pregnant women, particularly for those with obesity.

Sex differences in the risk of autistic-related traits in toddlers born to mothers with perinatal depression: Evidence from human cohort and mouse study.
Duan C, Yu Z, Li X, Sakai M, Maejima Y, Shimomura K, Furuyashiki T, Kikuchi S, Kobayashi N, Sasaki K, Matsuki T, Komatsu H, Hino M, Kunii Y, Kasahara T, Ishikuro M, Murakami K, Orui M, Abe T, Nagami F, Fuse N, Ogishima S, Kinoshita K, Yamamoto M, Nakaya N, Hozawa A, Obara T, Kuriyama S, Tomita H. Mol Psychiatry. 2026 Feb 4.
Maternal perinatal depression – psychological distress occurring during pregnancy or postpartum was associated with increased risk of autistic-related traits in toddlers, with a particularly strong impact on girls. Their findings are derived from a large-scale Japanese cohort of over 23,000 mother-child pairs.

SMFM: Prenatal COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Impact Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Offspring
Neurodevelopmental outcomes seem to be similar for children of mothers who received and did not receive mRNA severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination during or just prior to pregnancy, according to a study presented at The Pregnancy Meeting, the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, held from Feb. 8 to 13 in Las Vegas.

Maternal Physical Activity Linked to Child Neurodevelopment
Higher maternal physical activity before and during pregnancy is associated with early child neurodevelopment, according to a study published online March 3 in JAMA Network Open.

MEDICATIONS AND PREGNANCY

Antidepressants May Safeguard Against Preterm Birth Risks
Reviews study from Malm et al (2026).

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor use during pregnancy and maternal depression-a nationwide birth cohort study on risks to the mother and the newborn.
Malm H, Brown AS, Cheslack-Postava K, Gissler M, Gyllenberg D, Heinonen E, Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki S, McKeague IW, Tornio A, Upadhyaya S, Sourander A. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2026 Feb 5;8(4):101910.

SSRI use during pregnancy affects neonatal health beyond maternal depression by increasing symptoms related to delayed neonatal adaptation, although it may reduce the risk of preterm birth.

Prenatal Valproate Exposure Tied to Offspring Neurodevelopmental Risks
No surprise: prenatal valproate exposure is associated with increased neurodevelopmental risks among offspring, according to a study published online March 11 in The BMJ.

POSTPARTUM PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS

Up Close and Personal With Postpartum Depression
Dr. Lee Cohen discusses the new documentary More Than Blue which shares real stories from people who have experienced perinatal psychiatric illnesses—which remain under-diagnosed and under-treated across the United States.

Maternal Milk Allopregnanolone May Buffer Negative Associations Between Maternal Postpartum Psychological Distress and Infant Regulatory Capacity.
Werchan DM, Susskind B, Carpio R, Howell BR, Brito NH, Thomason ME. Dev Psychobiol. 2026 Mar;68(2):e70121.
There was a negative association between maternal psychological distress and regulatory capacity in infants of mothers with below-mean ALLO concentrations, but not in infants of mothers with above-mean ALLO concentrations. However, there were no effects of ALLO on infant negative affect or positive affect.

Temporal Dynamics of Antidepressant Response Following Brexanolone Treatment in Postpartum Depression
All participants showed clinical response, and most reached remission within 44 hours. Symptom improvement was broad, though no single symptom consistently led the affective shift. The timing of maximal change in subjective satisfaction with mood often differed from changes in standard symptom scales. Significant (P<.001) improvements were observed in anhedonia (?89%), rumination (?29%), and (?56%) maternal functioning, all of which persisted at 30-day follow-up.

Luvesilocin Designated Breakthrough Therapy for Postpartum Depression
Luvesilocin, formerly known as RE104, is a subcutaneously-administered, proprietary prodrug of the psilocybin-like compound 4-OH-DiPT. It is designed to target the serotonin 2A receptor, the primary pathway responsible for the antidepressant effects of psychedelic agents. According to developer Reunion Neuroscience, the rapid efficacy and short psychoactive effects of luvesilocin are expected to make the treatment more convenient than traditional psychedelic agents.

Anxiety, financial stress, and childhood trauma are associated with psychotic-like experiences during the postpartum period.
Psychotic-like experiences were generally prevalent and persistent over time in the postpartum period and were associated with distress. Anxiety symptoms, financial stress, and history of childhood trauma were associated with psychotic-like experiences cross-sectionally.

Enhanced Prenatal Care Models and Postpartum Depression
In this randomized clinical trial of pregnant, low-income, primarily Latine individuals, statistically significant improvements were observed in depressive symptom severity from baseline to postpartum, regardless of prenatal care type. There was no evidence of a difference between enhanced prenatal care types for improving depressive symptoms.

MEDICATIONS AND BREASTFEEDING

Maternal Milk Allopregnanolone May Buffer Negative Associations Between Maternal Postpartum Psychological Distress and Infant Regulatory Capacity.
(See Postpartum Psychiatric Illness.)

PERINATAL SUBSTANCE USE

Treatment and Research Needs for Pregnant Individuals With Substance Use Disorders.
Guille C. Am J Psychiatry. 2025 Dec 1;182(12):1047-1059.

MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD OUTCOMES

Association of parental prenatal mental health with offspring neurodevelopmental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
(See Psychiatric Illness During Pregnancy.)

Maternal Milk Allopregnanolone May Buffer Negative Associations Between Maternal Postpartum Psychological Distress and Infant Regulatory Capacity.
(See Postpartum Psychiatric Illness.)

Maternal Physical Activity Linked to Child Neurodevelopment
(See Psychiatric Illness During Pregnancy.)

MENOPAUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH

Loneliness, Social Isolation Linked to Subjective Cognitive Decline in Perimenopause
For perimenopausal women, loneliness and social isolation are independently and jointly associated with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), according a study published online March 10 in Menopause.

Emotional and cognitive effects of menopause and hormone replacement therapy
Menopause is linked to adverse mental health outcomes and reductions in gray matter volume in key brain regions. The use of HRT does not appear to mitigate these effects and may be associated with more pronounced mental health challenges, potentially due to underlying baseline differences. These results have important implications for understanding the neurobiological effects of HRT and highlighting the unmet need for addressing mental health problems during menopause.

FDA OKs Safety Warning Update for Menopause Hormone Therapies
Boxed warnings on cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and probable dementia have been removed.

OTHER TOPICS IN WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

Higher Stress Levels Linked to Higher BP in Women With Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
Women with a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes were found to have an increased risk for hypertension associated with higher stress levels, suggesting that stress reduction interventions may be valuable for women in this population.