CHOP Team Contributes to Series on Mood and Pregnancy
Published on in CHOP News
Published on in CHOP News
For some women, the experience of achieving and maintaining pregnancy is largely uneventful. But others may face significant challenges, such as pregnancy loss, traumatic birth, preterm birth, or hospitalization of the newborn in a NICU. These events may cause women to develop mental health symptoms.
A two-part series on mood and pregnancy in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing (JOGNN) features contributions from team members from the Center for Fetal Diagnosis & Treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Joanna C.M. Cole, PhD, clinical psychologist and Manager of Psychosocial Services, served as guest editor of the series.
The purpose of this series is to help frontline obstetric and neonatal nurses recognize triggers for psychological distress, and to provide methods to screen women and support those who experience mental health challenges in the perinatal period.
In Part 1, the researchers address models of best practice for collaboration between mental health and nursing care. In Part 2, the researchers address methods for assessment and intervention and supportive resources for women who experience perinatal distress symptoms.
Mental Health Screening, Treatment, and Referral During the Perinatal Period
Joanna C.M. Cole, Guest Editor
As many as 1 in 7 women experience depression, anxiety, and/ or traumatic stress during the perinatal period. Maternal depression is a well-recognized problem; however, the prevalence of anxiety and traumatic stress reactions during pregnancy and the postpartum period is an indication that a certain amount of psychiatric morbidity may in fact be caused by unrecognized and undiagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder. Methods to assess and treat perinatal distress are gaining attention in medical and psychotherapeutic arenas.
A Proposed Model for Perinatal Palliative Care
Joanna C. M. Cole, Julie S. Moldenhauer, Tyra R. Jones, Elizabeth A. Shaughnessy, Haley E. Zarrin, Aimee L. Coursey, and David A. Munson
Perinatal palliative care allows for an active partnership among a pregnant woman, her family, and her multidisciplinary treatment team, and addresses her specialized medical care, emotional, social, and familial needs when a life-limiting fetal diagnosis is confirmed. In this article, authors highlight the multidisciplinary care model used within a perinatal palliative care program. A case study provides a unique perspective on support needed for parents who anticipate that their newborn may die before or shortly after birth.
Universal Postpartum Mental Health Screening for Parents of Newborns With Prenatally Diagnosed Birth Defects
Joanna C. M. Cole, Michelle Olkkola, Haley E. Zarrin, Kelsey Berger, and Julie S. Moldenhauer
Few researchers have shown effective implementation of postpartum mental health screening and referral in obstetric nursing. In this article, authors describe the implementation of a nurse-led project to screen parents for depression and traumatic stress in the postpartum period after visiting their newborns in the NICU. Findings indicate that incorporating the screening process into routine nursing practice with immediate mental health triage and referral made the program feasible. The risk factors identified add to the growing knowledge about parents of newborns in the NICU.
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