Topic:  Perinatal Anxiety Disorders

This unit covers the epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of anxiety disorders in pregnancy and postpartum.    The self-study segment provides an overview, and classroom activities include three case conferences: a “risk-risk” conversation between patient and perinatal psychiatrist concerning benzodiazepine use, and two separate case conferences, which may be combined in one classroom session.  The case conference follows one patient through different stages and presents a second case to which learners must apply lessons learned from the first case. The media module concerns media depictions of stress in pregnancy.

The recommended order of modules is:

Self-Study: Anxiety Disorders Overview
Classroom: Risk-Risk Evaluation
Classroom: Case Conference
Media Module

Objectives

  • Recognize the clinical presentations of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and insomnia in pregnancy.

  • Differentiate clinical anxiety disorders in pregnancy from “normal” anxiety/worry in pregnancy and discuss how physiologic symptoms in pregnancy (such as shortness of breath or tachycardia) may be differentiated from anxiety or panic attacks.

  • Describe treatment options including both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments for anxiety in pregnancy.

Self-Study

Classroom

This Perinatal Anxiety Disorders module focuses on how to formulate and create a treatment plan for a patient with antenatal anxiety. Learners will describe the risks associated with both untreated anxiety and benzodiazepines in pregnancy and postpartum, and will learn how to conduct a risk-risk conversation with patients.

Launch TRAINEE

This module examines the epidemiology, risk factors, and etiology of perinatal anxiety disorders. Learners will also be introduced to the screening and diagnosis of perinatal anxiety, will learn about the impact of anxiety on pregnancy (including obstetric and psychiatric outcomes), and will understand the unique vulnerability of the postpartum period.

Launch Trainee

This module focuses on the reading and interpretation of the perinatal literature, in both professional and lay media. Learners will demonstrate the ability to analyze reproductive psychiatry issues as portrayed by the lay media, how to locate and analyze the scientific literature relevant to the issues raised by the lay media, and how to convey the patients accurate and clinical relevant information about “hot topics” in the lay media.

Supplemental Links

Launch Trainee