Treatment Advances in Perinatal Depression: Innovations and Promising Approaches.

: Psychotherapy and antidepressants are the standard treatment for depression during pregnancy or postpartum. However, several new treatments for depression represent major advances and paradigm changes. This commentary highlights some innovative treatment options that are on the horizon.

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.

Health Problems Mediate the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on the Frequency of Cannabis Use in a Sample of Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women.

Many health organizations recommend that mothers avoid cannabis during pregnancy and breastfeeding because they are concerned about exposing infants to Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in cannabis. Yet, data collected by the U.S.

Recent research on secondary trauma.

This is an introduction to the special issue "Secondary Trauma." The first few sections focus on different professional groups affected by secondary trauma. Articles also describe the impact of COVID on healthcare providers and other professionals.

Psychiatric medication use among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who used cannabis for mental health concerns: A cross-sectional survey study.

Background: Use of cannabis during pregnancy and breastfeeding is increasing. Mental health concerns are reported as common reasons for maternal cannabis use, but little is known about the use of psychiatric medications in this population.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe psychiatric medication use among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who used cannabis for mental health concerns.

The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder and its associated factors among frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic working at case management center in Ethiopia, 2020.

Objectives: COVID-19, because of its rapid transmission and the uncertainty about how it is transmitted, evoked fear and anxiety among frontline health professionals. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its association with impairments in functioning and comorbid mental health symptoms in Ethiopia in 2020.

Method: An English-language, online, cross-sectional survey study was administered to 207 different health professionals working at a COVID-19 center using a random sampling technique.

Secondary Traumatic Stress and Moral Injury in Maternity Care Providers: A Narrative and Exploratory Review.

Introduction: A significant percentage of maternity providers have experienced secondary traumatic stress following a traumatic birth. Previous studies identified it as an issue, but this literature review is 5-9 years old. In addition, the construct of moral injury has significantly increased our understanding of secondary trauma for military veterans.

Mode of Cannabis Use and Factors Related to Frequency of Cannabis Use Among Breastfeeding Mothers: Results from an Online Survey.

In the United States, 5% of breastfeeding mothers report using cannabis. Frequent cannabis use results in higher delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in breast milk, and mode of cannabis use may also impact risk to the infant. The aim of this study was to understand how breastfeeding mothers use cannabis and factors related to frequency of its use.

Neuroticism and PTSD symptoms: Gender moderates the mediating effect of peritraumatic emotions and dissociation.

Objective: Gender differences in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence and severity are well established; there is also growing evidence that men and women develop PTSD symptoms differently. This article aims to examine gender differences in the relationship between PTSD symptoms and personality traits according to the Five Factor model (FFM), based on the data from different studies conducted in Poland.

Method: The meta-analysis method and path analyses were conducted on the data from seven studies, including 1,182 women and 1,150 men.

Traumatic events, psychological symptoms, and aggression in male and female prisoners.

Establish the relationship between the types of traumatic experiences, number of traumas, age at the time of traumatic events with psychopathological symptoms and aggression in an Ecuadorian prison. A cross-sectional study with 101 offenders from Ambato's Detention Center in Ecuador. Of the prisoners in this sample, 27 have PTSD.

Posttraumatic growth and depreciation in people with chronic pain: A profile analysis.

Objective: Chronic pain can disrupt everyday life and shatter beliefs about the world. Shattered beliefs may be rebuilt, either positively or negatively, leading to posttraumatic growth (PTG) or posttraumatic depreciation (PTD). According to a transdiagnostic emotion regulation perspective, these phenomena are associated with coping strategies and emotions related to the body, self, others, and the world.

Trauma psychology in an era of interesting times.

Younger readers tend to prefer digital versions of journals. Many members of all ages have expressed concern regarding the expense and environmental impact of printing and shipping hard copies. Could we eventually see moving to an all-digital format? And would that make it easier to integrate materials that would make the journal more interactive? It will be interesting to see how these trends can impact our journal.

Oxytocin is a principal hormone that exerts part of its effects by active fragments.

Oxytocin is a nonapeptide consisting of a cyclic six amino-acid structure and a tail of three amino acids. It was originally known for its ability to induce milk ejection and to stimulate uterine contractions. More recently, oxytocin has been shown to stimulate social behaviors, and exert pain-relieving, anti-stress/anti-inflammatory and restorative effects.

Emerging findings on trauma in the military.

Trauma among military personnel is an ongoing concern. Some estimate that up to 23% of post-9/11 service members have posttraumatic stress disorder (Meyer et al., 2019).

New research on military and mass trauma: An introduction to the special issue.

PTSD in military personnel and survivors of mass trauma are particularly pertinent to our world today. The stories of these trauma survivors are in the news nearly every day. With this in mind, the editors are pleased to present this special issue of focusing on military and mass trauma.

The new paradigm for depression in new mothers: current findings on maternal depression, breastfeeding and resiliency across the lifespan.

The results from these recent studies demonstrate that breastfeeding has a much larger role to play in maintaining physical and mental health than we have previously believed. It's not just the milk. Because breastfeeding increases maternal responsivity, it makes the day-to-day experience of mothering more tolerable.

Depression, sleep quality, and maternal well-being in postpartum women with a history of sexual assault: a comparison of breastfeeding, mixed-feeding, and formula-feeding mothers.

Background: Women with a history of sexual assault are at increased risk for sleep difficulties and depression in their first year of motherhood. Breastfeeding improves sleep parameters and lowers risk of depression for women in general. However, it is unknown whether breastfeeding is related to maternal depression, sleep quality, and maternal well-being in sexual assault survivors.

Maternal obesity from all sides.

This column features excerpts from a recent series of articles from the Lamaze International research blog, Science & Sensibility. The eight-part series examined the issue of maternal obesity from various perspectives, incorporating writings from Kimmelin Hull, a physician assistant, a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, and the community manager of Science & Sensibility; Kristen Montgomery, a nursing professor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Pamela Vireday, a childbirth educator and blogger; and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, a health psychologist, lactation consultant, and writer/speaker. The authors of the blog series, titled "Maternal Obesity from All Sides," reviewed current research about risks associated with maternal obesity as well as the humanistic issues and lived experiences of pregnant women of size.

Childhood Abuse and Current Health Problems among Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy.

OBJECTIVES: Child abuse has negative consequences on health functioning and the self-concept. Prior studies have garnered support for these relationships in younger adults; yet few studies have looked at the effects of abuse on health in older adults and the psychosocial variables, specifically self-efficacy, that may influence the abuse-health relationship. METHODS: Data obtained from the Physical Health and Disability Study were used to explore the impact of child abuse on current medical problems among older adults who were screened on physical disability status (N=1396, Mean age = 67, SD = 10.

Four research findings that will change what we think about perinatal depression.

Research by health psychologists is changing what we know about perinatal depression. In this guest editorial, the author examines depression in pregnant and breastfeeding women in light of this recent research and describes four major findings that are influencing how we think about depression in new mothers: inflammation has an etiologic role in depression, a relationship exists between sleep disturbances and depression, breastfeeding protects maternal mental health, and all effective treatments for depression are anti-inflammatory interventions.

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and women's mental health in the perinatal period and beyond.

Recent research has shown that depression and a range of physical illnesses, including heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes, have an inflammatory etiology. The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3s) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are found in fish and fish-oil products, may protect against these illnesses, in part because they lower inflammation. This article reviews the recent research on omega-3s and women's mental health, with a particular focus on the perinatal period.

Discontinuation syndrome in newborns whose mothers took antidepressants while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Objective: This study compared mothers' report of symptoms of discontinuation syndrome in infants exposed to antidepressants both in utero and during lactation to infants who were exposed only during lactation.

Study Design: This is a convenience sample of 930 women breastfeeding women who answered an online questionnaire about antidepressant use while pregnant and breastfeeding. All 930 women had taken antidepressants while breastfeeding, and 527 had also taken antidepressants during pregnancy.