Psychiatric Disorders in Pregnancy and the Postpartum: Principles and Treatment

Although psychiatric disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period are common, clinicians often feel apprehensive about treating such patients because of the potential adverse effects of prenatal medication. In Psychiatric Disorders in Pregnancy and the Postpartum: Principles and Treatment, a panel of top experts in perinatal psychiatry reviews the many recent studies on the use of psychiatric medications in pregnancy and postpartum and assesses their impact on the diagnosis and treatment of pregnant/postpartum women. The authors focus on each of the major psychiatric illnesses, including depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse, eating disorders, and mental illness, as well as on the potential impact of these illnesses on infants and children. Interpreting conflicting and inconclusive clinical findings, they spell out the lesser-known risks of prenatal medication exposure and illuminate a variety of issues that must be taken into account in choosing such treatments as medications, psychotherapy, parental education, and social skills training.
Comprehensive and clinically focused, Psychiatric Disorders in Pregnancy and the Postpartum: Principles and Treatment quickly provides busy clinicians with all the information necessary to make informed, careful decisions on the safest and most effective treatment of psychiatrically disturbed pregnant women and new mothers.