Of all the factors that contribute to mood, hormonal variations, such as those found in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) can have a particularly strong effect. I’ve heard some people, for instance, describe PMS as a “powerful spell” that women are put under once every month.

Dr. Madeleine Becker explains the many considerations in in treating psychiatric illness in pregnant and lactating women.

We know that the postpartum period is a risky time for women who have a history of depression, especially if they experienced postpartum depression in the past. But several questions about mood and pregnancy are still unanswered.

Defining CAM is challenging. One of the things that makes it so hard to have a concrete discussion on CAM is that it means different things to different people.

The Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study (TADS) taught us that fluoxetine (Prozac) plus cognitive behavioral therapy was superior to medication alone or placebo for short-term recovery from major depressive disorder (MDD). But TADS didn’t tell us anything about long-term recovery.

Given the teratogenicity of certain psychiatric drugs like mood stabilizers and antipsychotics, it is logical and responsible to offer contraception to patients for whom these drugs are prescribed. However, actually doing so can be complicated.

The last time TCPR covered the topic of psychotropics in pregnancy was less than two years ago, in February of 2009. Since then, however, some new treatment guidelines have been published, and they appear to be useful to clinicians.

These new guidelines were issued jointly by our APA and by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In addition to providing a nice summary of the neonatal risks of antidepressant exposure, the paper offers clear, concise, and easy to follow algorithms for the management of depression in three scenarios doctors are likely to encounter.

The Motherisk Program is a teratogen information service that has been around for more than 20 years.

On May 28, 2008, The Food and Drug Administration announced a major revision in the labeling of the pregnancy and breast-feeding risk of drugs. The current labeling system was devised in 1979 and has been criticized over the years for being confusing and for failing to incorporate the most recent data.