What is Perinatal Mental Health?
Perinatal mental health is a term used to encompass mental health during pregnancy or postpartum. Peripartum is another word for this time period. We also include in the definition the period of trying to conceive as well as when coping with miscarriage or stillbirth. These are distinct and challenging stages.
Postpartum refers to the first year after a baby is born. Sometimes people refer to postpartum depression as ‘postpartum’, as in ‘I had postpartum’, but this isn’t quite accurate. It is a time period. Sometimes people think that the term postpartum refers only to a short period of time, like the first 4 weeks, but that is also incorrect. We think it is important to emphasize that a parent is considered to be postpartum for 12 months. If fact, we believe that we should think about postpartum mental health as even longer than this. If the mental health challenges are related to the phase of life that having a baby/toddler brings, we consider that postpartum. If depression or anxiety starts within the first year and continues for some time after, that would also be called postpartum even if the baby is well over 1 year of age.
PMADs is an acronym that refers to Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Examples of mood disorders are Major Depressive Disorder with Peripartum Onset or Bipolar Disorder. Examples of Anxiety Disorders include Panic Disorder, Specific Phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Besides PMADS, other disorders that can occur in the perinatal period include psychosis and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. To read more about these mental health disorders, the Postpartum Support International website has some good descriptions you can read through.
Perinatal mental health disorders may be diagnosed by family physicians, psychiatrists, or psychologists. Obstetricians and midwives may screen for them as well. The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EDPS) is a common evidence-based screening tool. Screening tools are not used to diagnose, but alert that a proper assessment is warranted to determine if a diagnosis is warranted.
A diagnosis can be helpful to better understand why you may be experiencing certain symptoms, and can be helpful if it is required for insurance reasons or to qualify for certain therapy programs. We think it is important to note that even if you are not experiencing symptoms consistent with a diagnosis, you may still be suffering, and could still benefit from therapy. Important questions to ask yourself include: “Can I still enjoy my baby?”, “Am I able to enjoy my pregnancy?”, “Am I able to be hopeful about my future?”. If any of these are troubling you, you may benefit from talking to your medical or mental health provider.
At the Well Parents Centre, we work with clients with a variety of concerns across different levels of severity. We offer psychotherapy services that span all the perinatal stages including trying to conceive, coping with loss, pregnancy, postpartum, and the early years of parenting. We believe that advanced perinatal training and extensive perinatal clinical experience makes a big difference in the quality of services we offer. Help is available and parents do not have to suffer alone.