title: Optimizing the treatment of mood disorders in the perinatal period.
abstract: The perinatal period is a time of high risk for women with unipolar and bipolar mood disorders. We discuss treatment considerations for perinatal mood disorders, including unipolar and bipolar depression as well as postpartum psychosis. We further explore the unique issues faced by women and their families across the full trajectory of the perinatal period from preconception planning through pregnancy and following childbirth. Treatment of perinatal mood disorders requires a collaborative care approach between obstetrics practitioners and mental health providers, to ensure that a thoughtful risk : benefit analysis is conducted. It is vital to consider the risks of the underlying illness versus risks of medication exposure during pregnancy or lactation. When considering medication treatment, attention must be paid to prior medication trials that were most efficacious and best tolerated. Lastly, it is important to assess the impact of individual psychosocial stressors and lifestyle factors on treatment response.
authors.affiliation: UNC Center for Women's Mood Disorder, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meltzer-Brody
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Mental Health, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D018743:Perinatal Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders
keywords: bipolar disorder; perinatal mood disorder; postpartum depression; postpartum psychosis; pregnancy; treatment