Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Online Course(s) & Continuing Education
Access the latest clinical skills and research for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders for PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH professional training. These Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders online courses provide practice-changing skills and valuable perspectives from leading global experts. This Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders education has been accredited for a variety of CEUs / CERPs and can be accessed on-demand, at your own pace.
Briana Tillman received her undergraduate degree in International Relations from the United States Military Academy at West Point. She has been a La Leche League Leader for 9 years and is a board certified lactation consultant. After spending 10 years as a stay-at-home mom, she is currently in her third year of medical school at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Parker, Colorado. She loves spending time with her husband and three kids—as a family they like to travel, go camping, and play string instruments in “family ensemble.”
Nick is a 3rd year medical student at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has a background in mechanical and systems engineering but found his calling in medicine after volunteering for Health4Haiti in 2011. He lives in Colorado with his wife and they enjoy hiking, camping and fishing in the great outdoors.
Topic: What a Letdown: Exploring the Physiology of the Milk Ejection Reflex - [View Abstract]
Due to the global shortage of mental health professionals, many primary care providers have become the first-line responders to a wide variety of psychiatric concerns. While lactation consultants and breastfeeding support counselors are not called upon to diagnose and treat mental health disorders, they nonetheless often become enmeshed in the topic due to the holistic nature of breastfeeding management. An understanding of the major psychiatric topics that can arise during lactation consultation is therefore a valuable asset.
In this presentation, we will describe mental health benefits and drawbacks of breastfeeding, and explore the controversy surrounding the “breast is best” campaign as it regards maternal mental health. We will also briefly explore the pharmacological and non-pharmacological options in treatment of major psychiatric disorders (e.g. generalized anxiety, major depressive disorder, bipolar mood disorder, schizophrenia) as they relate to lactation. Finally, we will review the scientific literature related to potential long-term mental health effects of breastfeeding on babies.
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Angel Montfort, Psy.D., PMH-C is a licensed clinical psychologist, mother of four, and the founder of the Center for Maternal Mental Health, a therapy practice dedicated to serving women throughout all stages of motherhood. She has always gravitated toward treating women and became passionate about perinatal mental health while working in a Women's Clinic within a hospital setting. At first it was a way to meet the needs of her patients and it quickly led to an understanding of her own postpartum experiences, which deepened her connection to this work.
In her practice, Dr. Montfort addresses concerns such as postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, birth trauma, perinatal loss, infertility, and adjustment to motherhood.
Dr. Montfort shares educational information on her Instagram account (@drangelmontfort) and her website (www.cfmmh.com) in an effort to validate and uplift moms who are struggling through a time that is expected to be the most joyous. Her expertise in perinatal mental health has been featured in a number of media outlets including Forbes, Healthline, and ScaryMommy. She believes that if we make space for both the highs and lows of motherhood, we set new moms up for a more balanced experience.
Alixandra Bacon is a Registered Midwife and settler living and working in Vancouver, BC on the traditional and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-waututh and Tsawwassen nations. Alixandra is President of the Canadian Association of Midwives, Past President of the Midwives Association of BC, and clinical faculty at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine. Alixandra is passionate about creating equitable access to excellent sexual, reproductive and newborn midwifery services for everyone. Alixandra is the recipient of the UBC Alumni Builder Award.
Dr Kathryn Gutteridge - First and foremost I am a mother, wife and latterly grandmother, my personal life has always largely informed my practice and I am always careful to remember that the women I meet are also like me in that they belong to a family.
I am a freelance consultant midwife one of the first in the UK and formerly employed at 2 very large and diverse maternity units. My career started in the 1970’s in nursing however midwifery was always my ambition and particularly the nurturance of midwifery led care.
I am a practicing psychotherapist interested in the emotional impact of childbirth; in part due to my own mothering experiences and research. I have worked closely with women to understand this phenomenon and researched emotional transition to motherhood.
Raising awareness for maternal mental health and particularly women surviving sexual abuse, I co-founded Sanctum Midwives campaigning on maternity care and sexual abuse. I have worked for many years raising awareness around the issues of maternal mental health and supporting both women and all those who work in maternity care situations. I believe positive mental health is the cornerstone to mothering and self fulfilment.
I have published widely in peer review journals but also in many books. My latest publication is ‘Understanding Anxiety, Worry and Fear in Childbearing Women’ which I edited and wrote 4 chapters. I am currently writing on the issues of child and adult female sexual abuse and its implications.
I care very deeply about women and their babies that they may come through their pregnancy and birth unharmed. I will continue to do this for the sake of midwives everywhere.
There is a growing awareness of the importance of perinatal mental health, and with the COVID-19 global pandemic, the need for screening is more important than ever. There is a knowledge and practice gap however when it comes to the practicalities of caring for mental health. This panel brings together midwives from different parts of the world and different practice settings to discuss what mental health care looks like in clinical practice and the importance of building mental health assessment and management into the standard structure of care provided to all birthing families.
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Suicide and Self Harm in the Perinatal Period
Dr. Prabha S.Chandra, is a Professor and Head of Psychiatry at NIMHANS, Bangalore, India.
She studied at the Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi and NIMHANS.
She has served as a Temporary Advisor to the WHO and UNAIDS and is the Secretary of the International Association of Women’s Mental Health, a nominated member of the World Psychiatric Association and an executive member of the Marce International society. She has been an NHS International Fellow and Consultant in Manchester, UK and a visiting professor at the University of Liverpool.
Her main areas of interest are Women's Mental Health, Perinatal Psychiatry, teaching methods, ethics and palliative care. She has nearly 180 publications and has edited several books.
She has three active research grants and has won several recognitions and awards. She has started the first dedicated psychiatry service including a Mother Baby unit in South Asia for mothers with severe mental illness.
Suicide is a known contributor to pregnancy and postpartum mortality and is now considered a direct cause of maternal death by the World Health Organisation. A systematic review of suicide related mortality and pregnancy in 21 LMIC countries found suicide related deaths from 0% in Vietnam to 23 % in Argentina. Prevalence of suicidality(ideas and attempts) during pregnancy ranges from 8% to 24% and risk factors include severity of depression, a past history of suicidal attempts, poverty and intimate partner violence. Untreated severe mental illness has been found to be an important cause based on the Confidential Enquiries for Maternal deaths in various countries. Death of the child or fetal death is also strongly associated. Assessment of suicide requires sensitive enquiry and/or the use of standard questions or tools. Infant harm maybe associated with suicide especially with severe mental illness. Prevention includes early detection and involvement of a team for active treatment.
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Dr. Sayida Peprah is both a licensed clinical psychologist and birth doula, with over 10 years of experience in both fields. She specializes in multicultural psychology, trauma, suicide prevention and maternal mental health. Dr. Sayida has a multi-faced career as a psychologist, diversity and cross-cultural educator, and community-based doula program director. Dr. Sayida is also the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Diversity Uplifts, Inc., who's mission is “fostering diversity and supporting communities and the providers who serve them.
An advocate for human rights in childbirth, Dr. Sayida is a member of the Black Women Birthing Justice Collective and a Collaborator with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, promoting research, education and community-based services to positively transform the birthing experiences of black families. Dr. Sayida has served and continues to serve on advisory committees including Perinatal Equity Initiative Committees, and formerly the California Maternal Suicide Review Committee and others aimed at identifying key risks and opportunities for quality improvement and prevention around disparities.
The occurrence of a suicide during pregnancy or up to one year postpartum is a rare but tragic event. While we expect that family members will be at a loss for how to detect or care for an acutely mentally ill loved one, it is concerning that many perinatal/maternal care and support professionals also report feeling unprepared and ill equipped to recognize and address the needs of patients in this situation. Additionally, publications on maternal mortality generally do not include information on maternal suicide, limiting providers access to updated research on the topic. During this presentation, maternal suicide research findings, as well as clinical considerations will be reviewed. Maternal suicide risks, symptoms, cultural considerations and recommendations for prevention and intervention will be reviewed. Practical scenarios for what to do in real situations will be highlighted.
When Mothers are Depressed: Understanding Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Dr. Barnes is an internationally recognized expert on women’s reproductive mental health. A past president of Postpartum Support International, she currently sits on their President’s Advisory Board and is also a member of the Los Angeles County Perinatal Mental Health Task Force and the statewide Maternal Mental Health Collaborative. Her work has been published in a number of academic journals. She wrote the assessment and treatment guidelines for perinatal illness for the Perinatal Advisory Council of Los Angeles County. In addition to private practice, she is often retained by legal counsel on cases of infanticide, neonaticide and pregnancy denial. The 2009 recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Eli Lilly Foundation, Dr. Barnes is the co-author of The journey to parenthood: Myths, reality and what really matters (Radcliffe, 2007) and editor and contributing author to a reference text on Women’s reproductive mental health across the lifespan (Springer, 2014).
Cultural ideology promotes the idea that pregnancy and childbirth are the happiest time in women’s lives; yet, there are more psychiatric admissions around the child-bearing years than at any other time in the female life cycle. Perinatal depression looks different in terms of its symptom presentation than other types of major depressive episodes and the psychological issues that determine treatment are unique to this phase of life, not only for the new mother, but for the entire family. This presentation focuses on symptom recognition, risk factors and treatment options looking at the impact of maternal depression on the developing mother-infant attachment.
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