Critical to the wellbeing of pregnant women and their infants is universal screening for drug and alcohol use. This is an essential first step in identifying women with harmful substance use and connecting them with appropriate services. Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment or SBIRT has been shown to be a quick and effective… Read More »
Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from a depressive disorder. In addition, they are vulnerable to mood disorders associated with reproductive functioning, specifically premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression, and perimenopausal depression. There is strong evidence to indicate that biological factors (genetic vulnerability, hormonal changes) and psychosocial factors (life stress) interact with one… Read More »
In the United States, about 9% of men and 11% of women of reproductive age have experienced fertility problems. In a recent review (FULL TEXT available), Paraskevi and colleagues discuss how stress, anxiety and depression impact the outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and explore whether supportive interventions may help couples to minimize fertility-related stress,… Read More »
Despite the increasing use of the newer “atypical” or second-generation antipsychotic agents to treat a spectrum of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, PTSD and other anxiety disorders, we have relatively little data on the use of these newer atypical agents in breastfeeding women. All medications taken by the mother are excreted into… Read More »