Resources
If you are looking for additional resources for your patients that may be experiencing prenatal or postpartum depression or anxiety – here are some trusted organizations:
TMC Literature
The Motherhood Center's "Our Day Program" Brochure
The Motherhood Center aims to educate, diagnose, and treat moms/birthing parents suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) otherwise, known as postpartum depression.
The Motherhood Center's "Learn About PMADs" Brochure
The Motherhood Center aims to educate, diagnose, and treat moms/birthing parents suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) otherwise, known as postpartum depression.
Postpartum Mental Health Plan
Becoming a parent can be both blissful and overwhelming at the same time. This plan can help your patients prepare for your postpartum mental health and identify what to do if they aren’t feeling like themselves.
Join Our Newsletter for Providers
Whether your patient is experiencing mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD), you need a trusted partner you can refer them to.
MMH Support and Advocacy
Postpartum Support International
The mission of Postpartum Support International is to promote awareness, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing in every country worldwide.
The Postpartum Resource Center of NY
The Postpartum Resource Center of New York, Inc. is a nonprofit IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organization in New York State representing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders support and education. Two Long Island women, Sonia Murdock, and Emily Sampino co-founded the Postpartum Resource Center of New York, Inc. in 1998 after they each experienced gaps and recognized the need for education, treatment, and support services regarding postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women's Mental Health
Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women’s Mental Health provides a range of current information, including a discussion of new research findings in women’s mental health and how such investigations inform day-to-day clinical practice.
Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA)
The Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) was founded in 2019 as a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the mental health of mothers and childbearing people in the United States with a focus on national policy and health equity.
The Office of Women’s Health
The Office on Women’s Health (OWH) was established in 1991 within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). OWH coordinates women’s health efforts across HHS and addresses critical women’s health issues by informing and advancing policies, educating health care professionals and consumers, and supporting innovative programs.
The National Institute of Mental Health
The mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.
Perinatal Psychiatric Consultation Services
Postpartum Support International’s Perinatal Psychiatric Consult Line
The PSI perinatal psychiatric consultation line is a service provided at no cost.
The consultation line is available for medical professionals who have questions about mental health care related to pregnant and postpartum patients and pre-conception planning. This consultation service is available for medical providers only.
The Perinatal Psychiatric Consult Line is staffed by reproductive psychiatrists who are members of PSI and specialists in the treatment of perinatal mental health disorders. The service is free and available by appointment.
Phone: 1-877-499-4773
Project TEACH
Project TEACH provides real-time access to reproductive psychiatrists to address your questions about how to help your patients with maternal mental health concerns. For timely consultations in real-time with a reproductive psychiatrist.
Phone: 1-855-227-7272
Maternal Mental Health Hotline
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
Call or text hotline: 988
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is a 24/7, free, confidential hotline for pregnant and new moms in English and Spanish.
Call or text: 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746)
The Motherhood Center Research
"Attachment classification and early adversity predict perinatal partial hospital treatment response"
“We administered entry and exit self-report measures to 178 women who participated in a specialized partial hospitalization program for perinatal individuals. Baseline measures of anxiety, obsessive symptoms, sleep quality, early life adversity, and adult attachment security were examined as potential predictors of response to treatment.”
"Outcomes at the Motherhood Center: A Comparison of Virtual and On‑Site Versions of a Specialized Perinatal Partial Hospitalization Program"
“Remotely administered mental health care is becoming increasingly common for treatment of a range of psychiatric disorders; however, there is a dearth of literature overviewing direct comparisons between remote and in-person interventions for treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs). The sudden advent of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York City forced an abrupt conversion for an intensive day treatment program for new mothers with PMADs, from an on-site to a remote program.”
"Attachment Security in a Dyadically-Informed Perinatal Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)"
“The Perinatal Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) has revolutionized treatment of severe maternal mental illness by incorporating the infant into the therapeutic frame, providing an effective and time-limited model of care for treating symptoms of Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) and thereby lessening the impact of intergenerational transmission of relational trauma.”
"Development and Frame of Partial Hospitalization Program for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)"
“This presentation outlines the development and frame of the partial hospitalization program (PHP) at the Motherhood Center which aims to treat women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).”
"Treatment of Severe Postpartum Depression and Attachment Security In a Dyadically-Informed Perinatal Partial Hospitalization Program"
“The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the perinatal PHP in treating primary mood symptoms, adult attachment style, and mother-to-infant bonding. Between admission and discharge from the perinatal PHP, patients demonstrated significant improvement in primary depressive symptoms, maternal infant bonding and adult attachment security, as measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) and the Adult Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ), respectively.”
Additional PMAD Research
"Dyadic psychotherapy with infants and young children: child-parent psychotherapy"
“This article briefly reviews the historical and empiric foundations of dyadic psychotherapy, highlighting the evolution of the central tenet that very young children exist in a relational context. The target of therapeutic intervention must therefore be the caregiver-child relationship. General features of dyadic psychotherapy are discussed, as well as aspects that are unique to the treatment of very young children. An overview of the goals and intervention modalities of Child-Parent Psychotherapy is provided as an example of an evidence-based dyadic intervention that incorporates theoretical principles and techniques of psychodynamic psychotherapy.”
"Ghosts in the nursery. A psychoanalytic approach to the problems of impaired infant-mother relationships"
Written by Selma Fraiberg, Edna Adelson, and Vivian Shapiro.
"Prioritizing Maternal Mental Health in Addressing Morbidity and Mortality"
“The rate of maternal mortality in the United States is 2-fold to 3-fold greater than that in other high-income countries. While many national initiatives have been developed to combat maternal mortality, these efforts often fail to include mental illness.”
Katherine L. Wisner, MD, MS; Caitlin Murphy, MPA-PNP; Megan M. Thomas, MD
"Prescription Stimulant Use During Pregnancy and Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children"
“Use of medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during pregnancy is increasing in the US. Whether exposure to these medications in utero impacts the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children is uncertain.”
"Mapping Global Prevalence of Depression Among Postpartum Women"
“Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common psychological condition following childbirth, and may have a detrimental effect on the social and cognitive health of spouses, infants, and children. The aim of this study was to complete a comprehensive overview of the current literature on the global epidemiology of PPD. A total of 565 studies from 80 different countries or regions were included in the final analysis.”
"Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 36 U.S. States, 2017 - 2019"
Key Finding: Among the 1,018 pregnancy-related deaths, an underlying cause of death was identified for 987 deaths. The 6 most frequent underlying causes of pregnancy-related death — mental health conditions (22.7%), hemorrhage (13.7%), cardiac and coronary conditions (12.8%), infection (9.2%), thrombotic embolism (8.7%), and cardiomyopathy (8.5%) — accounted for over 75% of pregnancy-related deaths
"Four in 5 Pregnancy-Related Deaths in the U.S. are Preventable"
“Key Findings: Among pregnancy-related deaths with information on timing, 22% of deaths occurred during pregnancy, 25% occurred on the day of delivery or within 7 days after, and 53% occurred between 7 days to 1 year after pregnancy.”
"Maternal Health: Outcomes Worsened and Disparities Persisted During the Pandemic"
“Hundreds of women in the U.S. die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to experience complications.”
"Largest Study Ever Shows no Increase in Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Kids Exposed to Antidepressants in Utero"
“Analyzing data from nearly 150,000 children with prenatal antidepressant exposure in two healthcare databases, a recent study finds no association between prenatal exposure to antidepressants and risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.”
"U.S Maternal Depression Screening Rates Released for the First Time Through Hedis (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set)"
“The first set of U.S. maternal depression screening is now available through HEDIS. Not Surprisingly, screening in both pregnancy and the postpartum period was reported at less than 20%.”
"New Study Uncovers the Heavy Financial Toll of Untreated Maternal Mental Health Conditions"
“Common and Costly Expenditures Associated with the Birth of Children in 2017 Amount to More than $14 Billion.”
"Postpartum Psychosis: Protecting Mother and Infant"
“Urgent identification and treatment are needed to prevent potentially fatal consequences.”
"Recognizing and Managing Postpartum Psychosis A Clinical Guide for Obstetric Providers"
“Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is at once the most dangerous and the least understood of perinatal psychiatric disorders. It affects 1 to 2 per 1000 women and constitutes a true psychiatric emergency, one that requires immediate hospitalization and treat- ment.1,2 The lack of knowledge about what it is, how to recognize it, and how to treat it, combined with stigma about perinatal psychiatric disorders in general and the lack of appropriate treatment venues, means that it is often missed, by both obstetricians and psychiatrists, with sometimes tragic consequences.”
Lauren M. Osborne, MD
PMAD Articles and Books
What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood
“Here, finally, is the first-ever practical guide to help new mothers feel less guilt and more self-esteem, less isolation and more kinship, less resentment and more intimacy, less exhaustion and more pleasure, and learn other tips to navigate the ups and downs of this exciting, demanding time.”
Written by Dr. Alexandra Sacks and Dr. Catherine Birndorf
Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders: Perspectives and Treatment Guide for the Health Care Practitioner
“This book offers a major resource for healthcare professionals, mental health professionals, and medical, nursing, psychology, and social work students who will be confronting this problem in their practices. The contributions, by renowned experts, fill a glaring gap in the knowledge professionals need in order to successfully manage maternal mental health.”
Written by Susan Dowd Stone and Alexis E. Menken
The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook: Practical Skills to Help You Overcome Anxiety, Worry, Panic Attacks, Obsessions, and Compulsions
“Many new parents feel anxious, and it’s perfectly natural to have some fears during and after pregnancy. The problem is, anxiety can grow, disrupting your daily life and keeping you from enjoying being a parent. This effective workbook can help you keep your anxious thoughts at bay and get back to the positive thinking you’ve been missing.”
Written by Pamela S. Wiegartz, Kevin L. Gyoerkoe, and Laura J. Miller
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Perinatal Distress
“This text teaches practitioners how to successfully integrate CBT structure and strategy into a supportive approach in working with this population. The examples used in the book will be familiar to postpartum specialists, making this an easily comprehensive and useful resource.”
Written by Amy Wenzel
Therapy and the Postpartum Woman: Notes on Healing Postpartum Depression for Clinicians and the Women Who Seek their Help
“Based on Psychodynamic and Cognitive-Behavioral theories, and on D.W. Winnicott’s “good-enough mother” and the “holding environment” in particular, the book is written by a therapist who has specialized in the treatment of postpartum depression for over 20 years. Therapy and the Postpartum Woman will serve as a companion tool for clinicians and the women they treat.”
Written by Karen Kleiman
The Art of Holding in Therapy: An Essential Intervention for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
“Readers will learn how to contain high levels of agitation, fear, and panic in a way that cultivates trust and the early stages of connectedness. Also addressed through vignettes are personality types that make holding difficult, styles of ineffective holding, and how to modify holding techniques to accommodate the individual woman. A must-read for postpartum professionals, the techniques learned in this book will help clients achieve meaningful and enduring recovery.”
Written by Karen Kleiman
Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts: Breaking the Cycle of Unwanted Thoughts in Parenthood
“Written by two leading clinicians in the perinatal community, in collaboration with two promising leaders in this specialized field, Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts, 2nd edition offers a compassionate approach to breaking the cycle of scary thoughts that is invaluable to new parents and clinicians alike.”
Written by Karen Kleiman, Amy Wenzel, Hilary Waller, and Abby Adler Mandel
Heal Your Birth Story: Releasing The Unexpected
“Psychologist Maureen Campion shares her personal experience with birth trauma and the work she has been doing working with mothers through workshops and counseling to address resolving unexpected birth outcomes. Healing Your Birth Story offers new understanding to the impact of birth on mothers and their partners. Journaling exercises are offered to lead the reader through multiple layers of understanding and healing.”
Written by Maureen Campion
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
“Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. ”
Written by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines
“Motivated to create spaces for this discourse because of the authors’ passionate belief in the power of a radical conversation about mothering, they have become the go-to people for cutting-edge inspired work on this topic for an overlapping committed audience of activists, scholars, and writers. Revolutionary Mothering is a movement-shifting anthology committed to birthing new worlds, full of faith and hope for what we can raise up together.”
Written by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, China Martens, and Mai’a Williams. Preface by Loretta J. Ross
Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America
“Honest, vulnerable, and uplifting, Motherhood So White is a fantastic book for mothers who have read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum, or other books about racism and want to see how these social issues play out in a very personal way for a single mom and her Black son..”
Written by Nefertiti Austin
"Things reproductive psychiatrists might ‘always’ or ‘never’ do in 2022"
“To open 2022, I wanted to revisit the practices I nearly “always” (or conversely, “never”) follow as a reproductive psychiatrist across the numerous clinical situations and variations on the associated clinical themes encountered as we see patients during pregnancy and the postpartum period.”
Dr. Lee S. Cohen