Mood Disorders in Pregnancy

Abstract

As one of the most common complications during pregnancy and the postpartum, perinatal mood disorders have become the subject of increasing attention and concern over the past decade. This growing awareness has led to new legislation at the local, national, and international levels as both patients and providers become more attuned to the impact of untreated perinatal mental illness on women and their families. Providing care for these patients is often of multidisciplinary concern because many women may not have a primary mental health provider and are instead seen by their obstetricians, internists, pediatricians, and family practitioners who then share in the burden of identifying and caring for these vulnerable women. In this chapter, we discuss the wide variation in mood changes women can experience, from the mild baby blues, which is not a discrete mood disorder, to perinatal depression and bipolar disorder as well as postpartum psychosis. We review the current literature and guidelines concerning screening pregnant and postpartum women, and we discuss unique treatment considerations for this population.