An Update on Mood and Anxiety Disorders During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

Because women in the childbearing years are vulnerable to mood and anxiety disorders, physicians in all patient care specialtiesneed to be familiarwith the prevalence and courseof these disorders, particularly during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Systematic prospective data are limited on the onset of mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period as well as on the risk of relapse during these time periods in women with prior histories of the disorders. The literature on mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy is frequently complicated by the use of various methodologies, procedures, and study populations, and inconsistencies in the postpartum time frame (up to 6 months after delivery) make the literature on epidemiology of postpartum disorders difficult to interpret. This article is an update of available information about the prevalence and course of mood and anxiety disorders in women during pregnancy and the postpartum period.