Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Treatment

Programs that provide emotional support, information and guidance in a variety of settings for women who have symptoms of depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder or postpartum psychosis, mental disorders that are associated with PMADs and affect an estimated 15% to 21% of pregnant and postpartum women in the weeks before and/or after their baby's birth. Therapists providing counseling and other services tailor therapeutic interventions specific to each woman's PMADs diagnosis. But there are general recommendations that can be incorporated to support each client's ability to benefit from the interventions that are specific to her individual PMAD diagnosis which may include normalizing and destigmatizing the situation (reassuring the woman that it is normal to feel ambivalent during pregnancy and motherhood), prioritizing sleep, encouraging exercise and finally, developing a strong social network which may involve other women experiencing PMADs, a general "new moms group", or activities that focus on interests other than motherhood.