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
PMS AND PMDD |
| No articles this week |
INFERTILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH |
| No articles this week |
PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS DURING PREGNANCY |
| Should Women Stop ADHD Meds During Pregnancy?
Study reviewed on MedPage: Continuing dexamphetamine for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during pregnancy was not associated with a higher likelihood of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes compared with stopping the medication during pregnancy. |
MEDICATIONS AND PREGNANCY |
| Where are the data to assess the safety of paternal drug exposure? A systematic review of secondary databases: A contribution from IMI concePTION – PubMed
Most studies assessing the safety of parental drug exposures during pregnancy and around the time of conception describe the effects of maternal exposure. Few studies have been completed on paternal medication exposures and pregnancy outcomes, despite the availability of secondary databases that contain data necessary to link fathers to infants. Continuation of antidepressants during pregnancy is influenced by the clinical severity of the disease rather than genetic predisposition as measured by PGSs. This study found no additional maternal or neonatal risks associated with using antidepressants prescribed to women with hypertension disorders during pregnancy. After accounting for maternal depression, there is little evidence of any association between antidepressant use during pregnancy and miscarriage. Instead, the results indicate the biasing impact of confounding by indication. Prescription Opioid Exposure During Pregnancy Elevates Preterm Delivery Risk Study reviewed in Psychiatry Advisor: Prescription opioid exposure during pregnancy is positively associated with increased odds of spontaneous preterm birth in a dose-dependent manner. These findings, published in JAMA Network Open, emphasize the importance of prescribing the lowest necessary dose of opioids for pain management during pregnancy.
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POSTPARTUM PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS |
| Indirect comparisons of relative efficacy estimates of zuranolone and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for postpartum depression
Analysis showed zuranolone-treated patients with PPD experienced greater symptom improvement than SSRI-treated patients from Day 15 onward, with largest mean difference at Day 45. Adjusting for differences between placebo arms, zuranolone may be associated with greater PPD symptom improvement (measured by EPDS) vs. SSRIs. |
MEDICATIONS AND BREASTFEEDING |
| No articles this week |
PERINATAL SUBSTANCE USE |
| Pregnancy and Postpartum Drug Overdose Deaths in the US Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
From 2018 to 2021, the mortality ratio more than tripled among pregnant and postpartum women aged 35 to 44 years, consistent with increases in overdose mortality across US populations. Substance Use in Pregnancy Ups Risk of ADHD For Child Study reviewed in Psychiatric News: Children whose mothers used alcohol, tobacco, and/or cannabis while pregnant were two to four times more likely to have ADHD symptoms than those whose mothers did not use these substances. Prenatal Tobacco Use Tied to Impaired Language, Memory Development in Offspring Study Reviewed in Psychiatry Advisor: Relative to controls, children exposed to MTDP had smaller cortical areas and volumes, as well as worse language and memory development scores. |
MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD OUTCOMES |
| No articles this week |
MENOPAUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH |
| More optimistic postmenopausal women tended to have better physical functioning marked by greater grip strength and more chair stand completions, a longitudinal cohort study showed. (JAMA Psychiatry).
Psychosocial Interventions Improve Depression and Anxiety During Menopause Study reviewed in Psychiatry Advisor: Psychosocial interventions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) improve depression and anxiety during menopause, according to systematic review and meta-analysis findings published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. These interventions also improved cognition and quality of life for individuals experiencing menopause. |
OTHER TOPICS IN WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH |
| Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it back |
