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Expert Q&A: Perinatal Depression
Frequently Asked Questions About Perinatal (formerly Postpartum) Depression
What is Perinatal Depression (formerly Postpartum)?
Peripartum depression is a serious, but treatable medical illness involving feelings of extreme sadness, indifference and/or anxiety, as well as changes in energy, sleep, and appetite. It carries risks for the mother and child.
Women’s History Month: The Rise of Reproductive Psychiatry
During Women’s History Month, we invite you to reflect on the history of women’s mental health and the rapid advancement of the field of reproductive psychiatry over the past several decades. While our understanding of women’s mental health has thankfully progressed from Hippocrates’ attribution of psychological distress to a “wandering uterus,” much of this development has been surprisingly recent.
Parental Leave Brings Mental Health Benefits, Especially for Mothers
Along with all the excitement and anticipation, becoming a new parent comes with a great deal of change and potential stress, such as the challenges of childrearing, financial pressure and career uncertainties. This elevated stress can contribute to mental health problems, including peripartum depression. New research published in the Lancet finds that access to employer-provided parental leave may help protect mothers’ mental health in the months after childbirth.
New Recommendations May Help Prevent Depression in New Mothers
Perinatal depression refers to depression that occurs during pregnancy or following childbirth. It affects more than one in nine new mothers and can be harmful not only for the mother, but also for the infant. Despite media attention and celebrities sharing about their experiences with peripartum depression, it very often goes unrecognized and untreated.
Perinatal Depression (formerly Postpartum)
Learn about Peripartum Depression (formerly Postpartum), including symptoms, risk factors, treatment options and answers to your questions.
Pregnancy, Mental and Substance Use Conditions and Treatment: Advice from Mental Health Experts
An estimated one in five childbearing persons in the U.S. experience a mental or substance use disorder before, during, or after pregnancy each year. With support from the CDC Foundation, APA has developed a series of educational materials for addressing perinatal mental health. This toolkit includes four fact sheets for patients: for people planning to become pregnant, for pregnant persons, for postpartum people, and suggestions for preparing for medical appointments.
Maternal Mental Health: A Brief Look at the Impact of Birth Trauma
For some women, childbirth can be a traumatic event often associated with birth complications or a near miss for maternal mortality 1. A traumatic birth involves a perceived or life-threatening series of events that result in severe injury or death of the infant or mother. This traumatic experience increases the risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after birth and can lead to challenges with attachment between the birthing parent and their infant
Online Support for People with Mental Health Conditions
While these unprecedented times are stressful for everyone, people with mental health conditions may face particular challenges. Many organizations offer ways to connect and find support online or by phone for general mental health and for specific conditions.
New Research Highlights the Expanding and Valuable Role Telepsychiatry is Playing in Improving Mental Health Care
Two studies released today in the journal Psychiatric Services add to the growing evidence of telepsychiatry’s contribution to improved mental health care. One study examined the use of telepsychiatry in emergency departments nationwide and a second looked at the use of telepsychiatry to improve screening, diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-related depression.