- Home
- Medical news & Guidelines
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology and CTVS
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Obstretics-Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics-Neonatology
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Urology
- Laboratory Medicine
- Diet
- Nursing
- Paramedical
- Physiotherapy
- Health news
- Fact Check
- Bone Health Fact Check
- Brain Health Fact Check
- Cancer Related Fact Check
- Child Care Fact Check
- Dental and oral health fact check
- Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
- Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
- Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
- Fitness fact check
- Gut health fact check
- Heart health fact check
- Kidney health fact check
- Medical education fact check
- Men's health fact check
- Respiratory fact check
- Skin and hair care fact check
- Vaccine and Immunization fact check
- Women's health fact check
- AYUSH
- State News
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttrakhand
- West Bengal
- Medical Education
- Industry
New recommendations for screening and treatment of postpartum depression
USA: A recent article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has provided insights into new screening recommendations and treatments for postpartum depression.
Perinatal mental health conditions are those that occur during pregnancy and the year after childbirth, whether the onset of the condition(s) predates pregnancy or occurs in the perinatal period. Perinatal mental health conditions are the foremost cause of overall and preventable maternal mortality. It includes a wide array of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Perinatal depression affects 1 in 7 perinatal individuals. Although referred commonly to as postpartum depression, more accurately it is called perinatal depression.
Two-thirds of women with perinatal depression have one or more comorbid psychiatric conditions, mainly anxiety disorders (83%), including obsessive-compulsive disorder (11%), social phobia (12%), panic disorder (14%), and generalized anxiety disorder (52%). Untreated perinatal depression is linked with short- and long-term negative consequences for affected individuals and their partners, offspring, society, and families. Perinatal depression remains undertreated and underdetected; more than 75% of those who screen positive receive no treatment.
Key points:
- In June 2023, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released new recommendations to minimally screen for depression at least twice in pregnancy (initial prenatal visit and later) and again at postpartum visits, using validated instruments. Additionally, depression screening is recommended at pediatric well-infant/child visits and well-woman visits.
- Before initiating treatment, particularly pharmacotherapy, bipolar disorder must be considered. Up to 1 in 5 persons who screen positive for perinatal depression may have bipolar disorder rather than unipolar depression.
- Psychotherapy is the first-line treatment for mild depression and individuals should be referred for psychotherapy regardless of symptom severity.
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are the most commonly prescribed medications for perinatal depression.
- SSRIs in particular are some of the best-studied medications during pregnancy and are considered reasonable first-line pharmacotherapy during all trimesters and lactation.
- In 2019, a novel treatment for postpartum depression was approved. Brexanolone (Zulresso) is a synthetic neuroactive steroid (allopregnanolone) that is an allosteric modulator of GABAA receptors. It is indicated for individuals with onset of moderate to severe depression in the third trimester or within 4 weeks postpartum.
"Collectively, the effectiveness and impact of perinatal mental health treatments are directly proportional to the ability of perinatal individuals to access them," wrote Tiffany A. Moore Simas, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, and colleagues. "National and state-based access programs are available to help clinicians address perinatal mental health and increase access to care."
Reference:
Moore Simas TA, Whelan A, Byatt N. Postpartum Depression—New Screening Recommendations and Treatments. JAMA. Published online November 27, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.21311
MSc. Biotechnology
Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted at  editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751