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.
To receive more detailed descriptions of many of these topics delivered straight to your email, you can sign up to receive our weekly CWMH NEWSLETTER which comes out every Thursday.
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
Why Getting Major Depression Right Matters-For Mothers, Babies, and All of Us.
Payne JL. J Clin Psychiatry. 2025 Sep 24;86(4):25com16092.
A perspective article on the consequences of undertreated major depression for mothers, infants, and families.
Prioritizing Mental Health to Optimize Perinatal, Fetal, and Neonatal Outcomes.
Roussos-Ross K, Moore Simas TA, Hoffman MC, Miller ES. J Clin Psychiatry. 2025 Sep 24;86(4):25com16100.
A clinical review emphasizing the impact of addressing maternal mental health for better perinatal and child outcomes.
MEDICATIONS AND PREGNANCY
Depression and antidepressant use in pregnancy and adverse maternal and offspring outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Liu T, Zeng N, Xu Y, Fan T, Wang F, Liu C, Zhao Y, Ni S, Mei H, Wu S, Zhang X, Wang Y, Wang Y, Li S, Shi J, Lu L, Bao Y. Mol Psychiatry. 2025 Oct 2.
Adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with antidepressant use may reflect the underlying depression, stressing the need for comprehensive evaluation and counseling.
Association of antidepressant use during pregnancy and pregnancy-induced hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Hu S, Lin T, Li L, Liu J, Zhao F, Xie H. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2025 Aug 25;25(1):884.
Different classes of antidepressants may have specific associations with gestational hypertension/preeclampsia risk, supporting individualized clinical decision-making and blood pressure monitoring.
Prediction of Maternal and Fetal Exposure to Escitalopram, Sertraline, and Paroxetine by Combining Human Ex Vivo Placenta Perfusion Data and Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling.
Préta LH, Bouazza N, Foissac F, Froelicher L, Urien S, Buth V, Benaboud S, Tréluyer JM, Lui G. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2025 Sep 27.
Combining placental perfusion and pharmacokinetic modeling provides data on fetal exposure to common SSRIs, aiding risk-benefit assessments during pregnancy.
FDA Panel Casts SSRIs During Pregnancy as Risky-Many Experts Disagree.
Schneider L. JAMA. 2025 Sep 16;334(11):937-939.
An FDA panel raised concerns about SSRI risks in pregnancy; however, many experts cite the importance of antidepressants for moderate to severe maternal depression.
Antiseizure Meds With Known or Uncertain Risks Continue to Be Prescribed in Pregnancy.
Despite growing awareness, some antiseizure medications with known or uncertain risks are still prescribed in pregnancy, highlighting a need for improved prescriber guidance.
POSTPARTUM PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS
Suicidal ideation in the postpartum period: A population-based study of prevalence and risk factors using data from two national maternity surveys in England.
Despotis A, Harrison S, Quigley MA, Alderdice F, Fellmeth G. J Affect Disord. 2025 Nov 15;389:119707.
Among 8037 women, SI prevalence was 3.1% in 2018 and 4.8% in 2020, with multiple risk factors identified. Notably, 11.4% of women with SI did not meet cut-off for probable depression.
Intimate partner violence during the perinatal period and women’s risk of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Díaz-Ogallar MA, Martínez-Vázquez S, Peinado-Molina RA, Hernández-Martínez A, Martínez-Galiano JM. Public Health. 2025 Sep 6;248:105930.
Perinatal intimate partner violence is strongly associated with elevated risk of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Behavioral Activation for Perinatal Suicide Ideation: Secondary Analysis of a Noninferiority Randomized Clinical Trial.
Kaliush PR, Molina NC, Berenbaum TS, Dennis CL, Gaynes BN, Meltzer-Brody S, Reyes-Rodríguez ML, Silver RK, Stuebe AM, Vigod SN, Schiller CE, Singla DR. JAMA Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 20.
Behavioral activation psychotherapy significantly reduced suicidal ideation in perinatal women, especially at 3-month follow-up.
Post marketing safety assessment of the novel postpartum depression drug, Zuranolone: evidence from real-world pharmacovigilance analysis based on the FDA adverse event reporting system.
Huang D, Luo Z, Gong X, Zou K, Peng Y, Zeng S. Front Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 15;16:1517773.
Real-world FDA safety data provide continued evidence regarding the tolerability of zuranolone for postpartum depression.
Racial Discrimination Experiences During Pregnancy Are Associated with Suicidal Ideation in Depressed Postpartum Women.
Gonçalves de Rezende M, Arantes Figueiredo de Paula Eduardo J, Levi V, Leite da Roza D, de Carvalho Cavalli R, Bettiol H, Rossi Menezes P, Del-Ben CM. Arch Suicide Res. 2025 Apr 15:1-16.
Experiences of racial discrimination during pregnancy increased the risk of suicidal ideation in postpartum women with depression.
Peripartum allopregnanolone blood concentrations and depressive symptoms: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.
Schoretsanitis G, Osborne LM, Sundström-Poromaa I, Wenzel ES, Payne JL, Barbui C, Gastaldon C, Deligiannidis KM. Mol Psychiatry. 2025 Mar;30(3):1148-1160.
Peripartum depressive symptoms were not associated with differences in allopregnanolone concentrations; variability in study design complicates interpretation.
Improving inpatient postpartum depression screening: results from a quality improvement initiative.
Woofter R, Hill G, Wong E, Bright TJ, Bresee C, Kilpatrick SJ, Accortt EE. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2025 Oct;28(5):1295-1307.
Self-administered EPDS screening led to higher detection rates for postpartum depression and suicidal ideation, resulting in more referrals.
Computer adaptive testing strategies for the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).
Wong EF, Accortt EE, Choi SW, Bright TJ. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2025 Oct;28(5):1251-1260.
Computer-adaptive EPDS versions offer efficient and equitable perinatal depression screening.
Prevalence and Trajectories of Perinatal Anxiety and Depression in a Large Urban Medical Center.
Solomonov N, Kerchner D, Dai Y, Kwon M, Callaghan DG, Schier MM, Zhang Y, Osborne LM, Benda NC. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Sep 2;8(9):e2533111.
Population study describes prevalence and dynamic trajectories of perinatal anxiety and depression in a large urban cohort.
Proposing a two-stage screening approach to distinguish between transient and enduring postnatal depressive symptoms: A prospective cohort study.
Smith-Nielsen J, Egmose I, Matthey S, Stougård M, Reijman S, Væver MS. Int J Nurs Stud Adv. 2025 Jan 4;8:100284.
Early EPDS score ?15 strongly predicted persistent postpartum depression, supporting tailored interventions for those at highest risk.
MEDICATIONS AND BREASTFEEDING
Exploring the vital role of lactation support providers in recognizing maternal mental health symptoms.
Shklarski L, Ner D, Leopold J. Midwifery. 2025 Oct;149:104542.
Lactation support professionals view mental health screening as essential but lack sufficient training and resources to identify mood/anxiety disorders.
PERINATAL SUBSTANCE USE
The Overlapping Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Crises Impacting Maternal Mental Health.
Maternal mental health and substance use disorder crises overlap, requiring integrated interventions at both individual and health system levels.
High Exposure to Prenatal Prescribed Opioid Analgesics Likely Not Associated With ASD Risk.
High prenatal exposure to prescribed opioid analgesics does not appear to be linked to a causal increase in autism risk.
MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD OUTCOMES
No articles this week
MENOPAUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Changes to ‘black box’ warning on hormone therapy for menopause symptoms expected soon, FDA chief says.
FDA is considering revising its boxed warning for hormone therapy in menopause to align with updated evidence and improve safe access.
Brain Performance Varies With Menopausal Hormone Therapy.
Transdermal estradiol is associated with better episodic memory performance, and oral estradiol with improved prospective memory in postmenopausal women.
OTHER TOPICS IN WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH
ADHD Symptoms in Women Fluctuate With Hormonal Changes.
Menstrual hormonal changes are associated with increased impulsivity and hyperactivity symptoms in women with ADHD.
The Hidden Struggle: ADHD in Women.
Diagnostic disparities persist for girls and women with ADHD; while more boys are diagnosed in childhood, rates nearly equalize in adulthood.
