Topic:  Perinatal Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

This unit covers the epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in pregnancy and postpartum.   Self-study segments include information about risk factors, polypharmacy, and the co-morbidity with autoimmune illness.   There is one classroom session that is quite long and may require more than 60 minutes to complete.  The media module concerns media portrayals of OCD and of thoughts of infant harm.

The recommended order of modules is:

Self-Study: OCD Risk Factors
Self-Study: Autoimmune
Classroom: OCD Progressive Case
Self-Study: Challenges of Polypharmacy
Media Conference

This module was last updated in January 2022.

Objectives

  • Learn how to distinguish among obsessions, catastrophizing thoughts, anxious thoughts, and depressive ruminations and delusions.

  • Be comfortable using specific interview techniques for women who demonstrate intrusive thoughts.

  • Discuss genetic, hormonal, neuroendocrine, and immunologic risk factors of perinatal OCD.

Classroom