Perinatal mental health concerns are common: 86% of women ultimately become mothers and approximately 15-20% will experience a peripartum mood episode (Betcher and Wisner 2020). Given that half of pregnancies are unplanned all psychiatrists that treat women of reproductive age need training and skills in how care for patients during pregnancy and lactation. However training in reproductive psychiatry is not currently required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). This leads to variable exposure to and knowledge in reproductive psychiatry among practicing psychiatrists. A recent study of 180 psychiatry residents nationwide found that 71% of psychiatry residents did not feel confident prescribing psychotropics during pregnancy and lactation (Ambrose et. al 2022). This mirrors the finding that 70% of psychiatrists advertising on Psychiatry Today do not indicate willingness to treat pregnant and peripartum women. Inadequate and non-evidence based psychiatric treatment of perinatal women results in 1) negative outcomes for mothers and babies 2) delays in care while patients await subspecialty referral and 3) psychiatric decompensation among pregnant and postpartum individuals (Koire et. al 2022). Improving knowledge among general psychiatrists regarding prescribing during pregnancy is key to expanding access to evidence-based care for this patient population. In this session we will address this knowledge gap by reviewing and dispelling common ‘myths’ about psychiatric medication use during pregnancy and educate participants on evidence-based principles for clinical practice. We will summarize data regarding safety of psychiatric medication use during the perinatal period including teratogenic and long-term neurodevelopmental concerns often raised by patients and address how to interpret scientific literature around this subject. We will engage the audience in interactive small groups to practice collaborative discussion of risks benefits and clinical considerations of pharmacologic treatment with patients for common case examples. We will empower participants with resources they can use to manage clinical questions in this patient population as they arise outside of this session. By the end of the session participants will be aware of tangible steps they can take to enact change at the individual and systems level to improve maternal mental health.
Format
Recorded webinar, non-interactive, self-paced distance learning activity.
This presentation was recorded at the 2024 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.
Learning Objectives
- To dispel common myths regarding psychiatric medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- To summarize evidence-based data regarding teratogenic and long term neurodevelopmental risks of psychiatric medication use during pregnancy
- To delineate a framework for discussing risk with patients
- To provide resources (APA toolkit, MotherToBaby, Reprotox, Postpartum Support International, etc.) to aid clinicians in the community in ongoing education on this topic
- To increase confidence and willingness of psychiatrists to treat perinatal patients
Target Audience
Medical Students, Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists
Estimated Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.5 hours
Begin Date: October 1, 2025
End Date: October 1, 2028
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the event date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physicians
The APA designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Program Presenters
- Amanda Koire, MD, PhD.
- Reid Mergler, MD.
- Nancy Byatt, DO, MS, MBA.
Program Planners
- Vishal Madaan, MD. Chief of Education and Deputy Medical Director, APA.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
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