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
No articles this week
INFERTILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH
No articles this week
PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS DURING PREGNANCY
The prenatal anxiety trajectory and its correlation with stress and psychological flexibility: a longitudinal study.
Sun J, Gao Y, Nan Y, Jiang Y, Wang D, Rahman A, Li X, Yang L. BMC Psychol. 2025 Oct 15;13(1):1152.
Unplanned pregnancy and prior spontaneous abortion were associated with higher risk of sustained prenatal anxiety.
MEDICATIONS AND PREGNANCY
Paternal Valproate Use and Neurodevelopmental Disorder and Congenital Malformation Risk in Offspring.
Colas S, Longin J, Santos AC, Kaplan S, di Giuseppe R, Bigat D, Venerus A, Bjørk MH, Kürzinger ML, Cilio MR, Richy F. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Nov 3;8(11):e2542581.
Higher neurodevelopmental disorder risk was observed in children of fathers exposed to valproate versus lamotrigine or levetiracetam, though congenital malformation rates did not differ.
Jennifer Lawrence Wants You to Know About Her Postpartum Anxiety Med.
In this news interview, Lawrence credits zuranolone for rapid relief of postpartum depression and anxiety symptoms, illuminating awareness around new pharmacologic treatments.
Modified electroconvulsive therapy for perinatal depression: scoping review.
Bobo WV, Moore O, Hurley CB, Rosasco R, Sharpe EE, Larish AM, Moore KM, Betcher HK. Front Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 18;16:1619098.
mECT is indicated for severe, psychotic, or treatment-resistant perinatal depression, but further research is needed to clarify safety and efficacy in this population.
Advancing telemedicine and task-sharing to improve access to psychotherapy for perinatal populations.
Andrejek N, Lea Z, Cussons A, Sandeep S, Dennis CL, La Porte LM, Vigod SN, Silver RK, Meltzer-Brody S, Singla DR. Commun Med (Lond). 2025 Sep 30;5(1):406.
SUMMIT trial data showed telemedicine and non-specialist psychotherapy are non-inferior to traditional specialist in-person care for perinatal mental health.
Technology-assisted cognitive-behavioral therapy for perinatal depression delivered by lived-experience peers: a cluster-randomized noninferiority trial.
Rahman A, Malik A, Nazir H, Zaidi A, Nisar A, Waqas A, Atif N, Gibbs NK, Luo Y, Sikander S, Wang D. Nat Med. 2025 Jul;31(7):2196-2203.
Peer-delivered, technology-assisted CBT (‘THP-TAP’) offers effective, scalable therapy for perinatal depression.
POSTPARTUM PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS
The Association Between Infant Distress to Limitation and Postpartum Depression Treatment Response.
Kousha KY, Krzeczkowski JE, Van Lieshout RJ. J Clin Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 19;86(2):24br15503.
Infant distress to limitation was evaluated as a potential predictor and response marker in mothers receiving postpartum depression treatment.
Identification and validation of postpartum depression subtypes: a population-based cohort study.
Bauer AE, Jaholkowski P, Lu Y, Guintivano J, Hannigan LJ, Corfield EC, Tesli M, Andreassen OA, Li Y, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Sullivan PF, Meltzer-Brody S, Havdahl A, Ask H. EClinicalMedicine. 2025 Oct 9;89:103540.
This study identifies distinct PPD subtypes with unique genetic and obstetric profiles, stressing the importance of trauma-informed care and holistic obstetric management in PPD prevention and treatment.
Targeting Intolerance of Uncertainty During Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Prevent Postpartum Anxiety Disorders.
Furtado M, Frey BN, Inness BE, McCabe RE, Green SM. J Clin Psychiatry. 2025 Nov 5;87(1):25m15979.
A six-week cognitive behavioral therapy protocol effectively reduced intolerance of uncertainty and postpartum anxiety risk compared to treatment as usual.
MEDICATIONS AND BREASTFEEDING
No articles this week
PERINATAL SUBSTANCE USE
Talking to Your Patients About Alcohol, Marijuana, and Substance Use During Pregnancy.
Hogan CS, Vyas CM, Woods GT, Massey SH, Stern TA. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2025 Nov 11;27(6):25f04012.
Practical guidance for clinicians on discussing alcohol, marijuana, and substance use during pregnancy to promote healthier outcomes.
Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Lactation | ACOG.
ACOG recommends screening and counseling for cannabis use in all pregnant and lactating patients, with reinforced evidence-based strategies for harm reduction.
ACOG Releases New Recommendations on Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Lactation | ACOG.
Universal cannabis screening during prepregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum is now recommended by ACOG.
MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD OUTCOMES
An intervention to address prenatal anxiety improves maternal-infant bonding, with effects mediated by maternal-infant responsiveness, maternal self-efficacy, and postpartum depression.
Olivas ET, Park S, Malik A, Zaidi A, Atif N, Rahman A, Surkan PJ. Infant Ment Health J. 2025 Jun 15:10.1002/imhj.70022.
CBT for prenatal anxiety enhanced postpartum maternal-infant bonding, mediated by maternal responsiveness, self-efficacy, and postpartum depression.
Impacts of chronic suicidal ideation on parenting and child development: A longitudinal mother-child cohort study in Pakistan.
Hagaman A, Frost A, Sanborn K, Zhou Y, Gallis J, Turner E, Sikander S, Rahman A, Bates LM, Saeed G, Mumtaz S, Bibi A, Malik A, Maselko J. Soc Sci Med. 2025 Oct;383:118463.
Chronic maternal suicidal ideation negatively affected parenting quality and predicted worse child developmental outcomes over time.
MENOPAUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Is HRT in menopause healthy? US label change triggers debate.
The US FDA is removing severe warnings from some hormone replacement therapies in menopause. The change is controversial among scientists, with calls for clearer guidance and communication.
OTHER TOPICS IN WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH
Psychological experiences and needs of perinatal women experiencing intimate partner violence: a qualitative meta-synthesis.
Wen R, Wang S, Yang K, Xu H.Front Public Health. 2025 Oct 16;13:1678360.
Meta-synthesis identified four themes for perinatal women with IPV: negative experiences (physical discomfort, psychological trauma), poor maternal role adaptation, resilience strategies, and neglected informational/social support needs.
