Postpartum psychosis: a diagnosis for the DSMV.

Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a serious disorder that is associated with maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, yet it is denied a diagnostic classification in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). PPP was included in the DSMI (1952) and the DSMII (1968). It was removed from DSMIII (1980).

Infanticide and American criminal justice (1980-2018).

Maternal infanticide, or the murder of a child in the first year of life by its mother, is a subject both compelling and repulsive. The victim is innocent, but the perpetrator may be a victim too. In the USA, mentally ill women who commit infanticide may receive long prison sentences or even the death penalty.

Reanalysis of efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for antepartum depression versus parenting education program: initial severity of depression as a predictor of treatment outcome.

Objective: Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is supported by substantial empirical evidence as a treatment for depression. Surprisingly, our recently reported randomized, single-blind, controlled clinical trial found no significant difference between interpersonal psychotherapy for antepartum depression (IPT-P) and a parenting education program (PEP) control condition for the treatment of prenatal depression. Because depression severity has been found to influence treatment response in antidepressant treatment trials, the current study reassessed IPT-P outcomes, limiting analyses to women with moderate depressive symptoms.

Disagreement between therapist raters and independent evaluators in a controlled clinical trial of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed pregnant women.

Background: The randomized controlled trial in which both the patient and the treating clinician are kept blinded to the treatment is the "gold standard" for treatment research assignment. However, in psychotherapy research, evaluations can only be single blind; thus, such studies are inherently more limited.

Methods: A 12-week, bilingual, parallel-design, controlled clinical treatment trial compared interpersonal psychotherapy for antepartum depression (IPT-P) with a parenting education program (PEP) provided to a control group.

Increased breastfeeding rates in black women after a treatment intervention.

There has been a considerable increase in rates of breastfeeding in the United States. Despite these trends, black women continue to fall below medical recommendations. Impoverished and poorly educated women also have a comparatively lower rate of breastfeeding.

A controlled clinical treatment trial of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed pregnant women at 3 New York City sites.

Objective: While treatment decisions for antepartum depression must be personalized to each woman and her illness, guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology include the recommendation of psychotherapy for mild-to-moderate depression in pregnant women. Although we previously demonstrated the efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for antepartum depression in a sample of Hispanic women, this study provides a larger, more diverse sample of African American, Hispanic, and white pregnant women from 3 New York City sites in order to provide greater generalizability.

Method: A 12-week bilingual, parallel-design, controlled clinical treatment trial compared interpersonal psychotherapy for antepartum depression to a parenting education program control group.

Symptoms of depression in a minority population of women from an urban obstetrics and gynecology clinic.

Objective: The aim of this exploratory study was to determine and compare the rates of depressive symptoms across 3 groups of African-American and Hispanic pregnant, postpartum, and nonperipartum gynecology patients in a hospital-based urban outpatient obstetrics and gynecology clinic.

Method: Seventy-eight subjects were recruited from the outpatient department of an inner city hospital. Each subject completed the Beck Depression Inventory.

Denial of pregnancy: a psychodynamic paradigm.

This article discusses denial of pregnancy. It includes clinical material from 17 women who not only denied pregnancy but committed neonaticide and were evaluated for forensic reasons. The forensic issues have been discussed elsewhere and are not considered here.

Maternal infanticide associated with mental illness: prevention and the promise of saved lives.

Objective: Although maternal infanticide is a rare event, a high proportion of cases occurs in the context of postpartum mental illness. The author reviews historical, legislative, and contemporary psychiatric perspectives on infanticide and discusses ways in which the psychiatric community can improve prevention of infanticide and promote appropriate treatment of mentally ill women who commit infanticide.

Method: The case of Texas v.

Controlled clinical trial of interpersonal psychotherapy versus parenting education program for depressed pregnant women.

Objective: Antenatal depression is a significant risk factor for postpartum depression, with a 10%-12% prevalence in all pregnancies. Rates of depression are higher for pregnant women with chronic stressors, financial and housing problems, and inadequate social support. Despite the prevalence and associated family and infant morbidity, there are no controlled clinical treatment trials regarding this topic, to the authors' knowledge.

An open trial of morning light therapy for treatment of antepartum depression.

Objective: About 5% of pregnant women meet criteria for major depression. No pharmacotherapy is specifically approved for antepartum depression; novel treatment approaches may be welcome. The authors explored the use of morning bright light therapy for antepartum depression.