How Psychiatrists Can Support Maternal Mental Health During Pandemic

Pregnant and postpartum women are likely to face significant challenges due to COVID-19 that may increase their risk of mental health problems. In anarticle appearing today inJAMA Psychiatry, several psychiatrists describe strategies for helping both women in treatment for psychiatric disorders and those not in treatment.“Pregnant and postpartum women, already vulnerable owing to mood and anxiety disorders, have faced intensified harms as public health measures have interfered with crucial psychosocial needs specific to the peripartum period,” wrote Alison Hermann, M.D., Elizabeth M. Fitelson, M.D., and Veerle B ergink, M.D., Ph.D. “Maternal mental health is a bellwether in the COVID-19 pandemic, and we must address it expeditiously. Solutions are required on all levels, and systemwide efforts must be well organized and strategic.”Obstetric Department infection control procedures for maternity wards —including the use of personal protective equipment, surgical masks during active labor, visitor restrictions, and truncated hospital stays postdelivery—may increase the risk of maternal distress at time of delivery and limit the opportunity to address the needs of women after they have given bi rth, they wrote. Once discharged from the hospital, these women may face additional challenges, as “many previously reliable interventions for postpartum mood regulation have not been available or are severely compromised.” For example, grandparents and overnight infant car...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Alison Hermann anxiety disorders COVID-19 Elizabeth M. Fitelson JAMA Psychiatry mood disorders postpartum pregnancy psychoactive medications psychotherapy Veerle Bergink Source Type: research