(HS Treymayne 078542 2023) Maternal Mental Health and Pregnancy: Can Perinatal Mood Disorders be Prevented?

Course overview

Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are the number one complication during pregnancy and childbirth. This illness affects over 20% of pregnant and postpartum women and has increased exponentially since COVID. Any woman who can be identified, as at risk for PMADs during pregnancy, using validated screening tools, can be proactively assessed, diagnosed, and treated, potentially erasing the emergency/crisis intervention for a new postpartum mom. With evidence based multidisciplinary treatment modalities, all women get better, and return to their normal baseline of mental health. Gestational diabetes affects approximately 4-6% of the same population, and the medical community is always assessing for that illness, why is it, that an illness that affects upwards of 4x that number is not given the same attention and respect. If you are a healthcare provider who treats women in the childbearing age range, work in behavioral mental health, or a pediatrician, this information will give you what you need to start to be able to identify these women, give proper screening tools, and refer to resources and treatment that is appropriate for this temporary and treatable illness.