Is there a higher prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic? A comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare data on mood and anxiety disorders of pregnant women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The study sample included 253 women evaluated on their first postpartum day during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mood and anxiety disorders were determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Data from sample was compared with data from previous study that was completed and published prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of mood and anxiety disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic was 7.1% and 13.0%, respectively. The most common specific disorder was generalized anxiety disorder (7.1%). Compared to period before the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in the current sample was not significantly different. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that pregnant women may have not be under higher risk for mood and anxiety disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic.

Olanzapine and quetiapine in the prevention of a new mood episode in women with bipolar disorder during the postpartum period: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether olanzapine and quetiapine are useful in the prevention of a new mood episode during the postpartum period. METHODS: Data on 23 patients (n=14 for olanzapine and n=9 for quetiapine) with bipolar disorder who met the criteria for this study were retrospectively gathered. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder was determined by means of the DSM-IV. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 33.95±12.07 weeks. Six (26.1%) of 23 patients experienced recurrent mood episodes during the postpartum period. Four of these six patients were taking olanzapine and two were taking quetiapine. Patients with recurrent mood episodes had a significantly stronger family history of bipolar disorder, higher number of past episodes, and earlier onset and longer duration of illness compared to patients without recurrent mood episodes. CONCLUSION: Monotherapy with olanzapine or quetiapine can be considered as an alternative to mood stabilizers in preventing the development of new mood episodes after childbirth.

Use of Psychotropic Medication During Lactation in Postpartum Psychiatric Patients: Results from an 8-Year Clinical Sample.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the lactation status and prevalence of use of psychotropic medications in perinatal psychiatric patients. Methods: Clinical data collated for a period of 8 years were retrospectively retrieved from patient registers. The sample included a total of 263 postpartum patients who were followed up for at least 4 weeks. Psychiatric diagnoses were ascertained by a structured clinical interview. Results: The most commonly administered psychotropic medications were paroxetine (43.3%), sertraline (31.9%), olanzapine (12.2%), and quetiapine (6.1%). Of the 242 patients who received psychotropic medication, 41 (16.9%) discontinued breastfeeding. The discontinuation in most cases was not due to psychiatrist's recommendation or adverse events due to medications. Conclusion: Paroxetine and sertraline are frequently used by postpartum psychiatric patients in our clinical sample. In addition, the results suggesting that most psychiatric patients included in this study can continue breastfeeding during pharmacotherapy should be confirmed by data derived from further clinical samples.