Screening for Perinatal Depression: Barriers, Guidelines, and Measurement Scales.

Screening for perinatal depression can lower its prevalence and ensure that mothers receive adequate treatment and support. Yet, few practitioners screen for it. The present article is a brief review of barriers to screening, and two screening scales are validated for perinatal women.

The influence of prior rape on the psychological and physical health functioning of older adults.

Objectives: Older adults who have experienced traumatic events earlier in life may be especially vulnerable to additional challenges associated with aging. In a cross-sectional study of older females, the present study examines whether a history of rape is associated with current psychological and health problems.

Method: This study used existing data from the female respondents (N = 1228) in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a national probability sample of adults between the ages of 57 and 85 interviewed in their homes.

Violence against women and the perinatal period: the impact of lifetime violence and abuse on pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding.

Violence against women affects millions of women, including women who are pregnant or have recently given birth. During pregnancy, a woman's history of past abuse increases her risk of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. And these increase the risk of pregnancy and neonatal complications.

Inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome as sequelae of violence against women: the role of depression, hostility, and sleep disturbance.

Women who experience violence are significantly more likely to have serious health problems above and beyond any injuries they might incur. The intriguing question is why this is so. In this article, the author describes how three sequelae of violence against women-depression, hostility, and sleep disturbance-can increase the risk of disease.