Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Sep;61(3):615-627.
doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000377.

Psychiatric Emergencies in Pregnancy and Postpartum

Lisette Rodriguez-Cabezas  1   2 , Crystal Clark  1
Affiliations
Review

Psychiatric Emergencies in Pregnancy and Postpartum

Lisette Rodriguez-Cabezas et al. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Sep.

Abstract

The perinatal period is a vulnerable time for the acute onset and recurrence of psychiatric illness. Primary care providers are opportunely positioned to intervene for women who present with mood decompensation, excessive anxiety, or psychosis during the perinatal period. Owing to increased screening efforts in obstetrical clinics and amount of contact during the perinatal period, obstetricians may be able to identify patients who need treatment before their symptoms become severe. In this article, we address imminent and emergent psychiatric symptoms in the perinatal period including management and risk reduction to help obstetrician/gynecologists treat and/or refer patients as clinically appropriate.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Gaynes BN, Gavin N, Meltzer-Brody S, et al. Perinatal depression: prevalence, screening accuracy, and screening outcomes. Evidence report/technology assessment (Summary) . 2005(119):1–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wisner KL, Sit DK, McShea MC, et al. Onset timing, thoughts of self-harm, and diagnoses in postpartum women with screen-positive depression findings. JAMA Psychiatry . 2013;70(5):490–498. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Viguera AC, Tondo L, Koukopoulos AE, Reginaldi D, Lepri B, Baldessarini RJ. Episodes of mood disorders in 2,252 pregnancies and postpartum periods. Am J Psychiatry . 2011;168(11):1179–1185. - PubMed
    1. Dennis CL, Falah-Hassani K, Shiri R. Prevalence of antenatal and postnatal anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry . 2017;210(5):315–323. - PubMed
    1. Appleby L, Mortensen PB, Faragher EB. Suicide and other causes of mortality after post-partum psychiatric admission. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science . 1998;173:209–211. - PubMed

MeSH terms