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Narrative Review September 23, 2021

Perinatal Planning Guide: Mitigating Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Leah C. Susser, MD; Victoria M. Wilkins, PhD; Lauren H. Sternberg, PsyD

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2021;23(5):21nr02953

ABSTRACT

Women are at high risk for and more vulnerable to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While access to specialized perinatal mental health services is limited, clinicians with whom women have ongoing relationships are in a unique position to counsel about prevention of PMADs. These clinicians include primary care, obstetric, and general mental health clinicians. By providing a woman with practical guidance and psychoeducation for perinatal planning (eg, about sleep, exercise, nutrition, and the importance of social supports), clinicians can mitigate a woman’s risk of PMADs. This practical guidance must be modified to fit the social context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance can prevent or attenuate unnecessary suffering on the part of the mother and have a long-lasting impact on her child. This review provides a perinatal planning guide that outlines important topics to discuss and problem solve with women in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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