Protein Decline May Link to Depression in Pregnancy

Research presented at the American Psyciatric Association Annual Meeting shows a potein important to fetal development may play a role in depression in pregnancy. Read the press release.

Women with History of Childhood Abuse At Greater Risk for Aggression in Relationships

Women with a history of childhood physical abuse may be at greater risk than men for aggression, as a victim or as a perpetrator, in adult intimate relationships, according to a study released at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

The research was scheduled for presentation Sunday, May 15, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, which is in Honolulu May 14-18.

Researchers said the findings also suggest that anger suppression could play a role in the link between aggression in relationships and abuse history.

Details of this study, along with five other new research studies, will be presented at a press briefing from the APA Annual Meeting. Members of the media can attend in Room 307 of the Hawaii Convention Center at 8 am Hawaii time, Monday, May 16, or participate online at 11 AM PDT/2 pm EDT by registering at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/341505819.

Protein Decline May Link to Depression in Pregnancy

Research from the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting shows that a protein important to fetal development declines significantly in the mother’s bloodstream during pregnancy which can cause depression in some pregnant women.

These findings were presented Tuesday, May 17, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, being held in Honolulu May 14-18.

Researchers looked at levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, known as BDNF, a growth-related protein important to healthy fetal development, in the bloodstream of a group of healthy women who were pregnant and compared BDNF levels to women who were not pregnant. Serum BDNF was significantly lower in pregnant women.

Authors concluded that BDNF may be sequestered by the fetus during pregnancy, and that low levels of the protein during pregnancy could put some women at risk for developing depression during pregnancy. The presenters suggested future research on BDNF levels in depressed pregnant women.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at http://www.psych.org/  and http://www.healthyminds.org/.

Women-Focused Sessions at 2011 APA Annual Meeting

Maternal Mental Health and Menopause Myths Addressed Next Month

Research has shown that nearly twice as many women as men are affected by a depressive or anxiety disorder. Sessions and workshops at the 2011 APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu will explore transitions in a woman’s reproductive life cycle linked to mood disorders and uncover ways to optimize overall mental well-being.

Sexuality and aging is one of several topics featured at the American Psychiatric Association’s 2011 Annual Meeting, when presenters examine moods, memory, and menopause. Related sessions look to debunk popular gender myths and identify effective treatments for depression, insomnia, and hot flashes. The APA’s 164th Annual Meeting, the world’s largest psychiatric meeting, will run Saturday, May 14, to Wednesday, May 18, 2011 in Honolulu at the Hawaii Convention Center.

Improving the mental health care of pregnant women and new mothers is another focus. Not always recognized as a mental health concern for women, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is acknowledged by some as an issue new moms can face following a traumatic birth. The presidential symposium on translating neuroscience for advancing PTSD prevention, which is scheduled for Monday, May 16, will include a presentation on treating maternal PTSD. Another Annual Meeting session on optimizing maternal care will present research on treating pregnant women with bipolar disorder.

Reproductive concerns will also be addressed in a series of sessions examining the psychiatric effects of infertility, abortion, miscarriage, and genetics on women’s mental health. Gisele Apter, M.D., Ph.D. will chair a presentation on how to identify and manage antenatal maternal mental health dilemmas. Presentations on prenatal and newborn genetic screening will highlight the ethical and legal challenges surrounding psychiatric and behavioral genetics.

Several sessions focus on women’s mental health and cancer diagnosis, including new research on the psychological impact of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. David Spiegel, M.D. will lead a presentation on how a woman’s mood can predict her survival rate with metastatic breast cancer. Additional studies showing the link between the mental attitudes of breast cancer patients and their cellular immunity will be discussed.

Online advanced registration for journalists is open. Review the guidelines for press participation in the meeting.

Women's Mental Health at the APA

Shari I. Lusskin MD and C. Neill Epperson, MD


We are pleased to report that women's mental health topics are alive and well at the APA Annual meeting in New Orleans.

Neill and Natalie Rasgon, MD, played to a standing room only crowd at the crack of dawn (at least in New Orleans) on Sunday. Their workshop was entitled Mood Disorders in Women of Reproductive Age. After a concise review of the relationship between estrogen and mood across the lifespan, Natalie focused on depression during the perimenopause transition. She then shared her PET scan data on how estrogen effects brain metabolism in peri- and postmenopausal women. Neill followed with a lively discussion of the controversy surrounding the use of estrogen during the menopause. She shared her not- even-in-press-yet data from her fMRI research on the individual and interactive effects of estrogen and serotonin on brain activation in perimenopausal women using a working memory task paradigm.

Shari had the honor of teaching a course on Sunday afternoon with her fabulous colleagues from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Shaila Misri, MD, Diana Carter, MD, and Deirdre Ryan, MD. Now in it's almost 20th year, the course, Management Disorders in Pregnant and Postpartum Women, which was founded by Shaila, was sold out as usual. The audience included psychiatrists from as far North as St. Johns in Newfoundland, as far South as Sao Paolo, as far East as Bologna, Italy, and as far west as California. Several people have attended the course before but returned for the latest updates in perinatal psychiatry. New this year was an hour and fifteen minute question and answer period which was fascinating for all of us. As usual, we ourselves learned a tremendous amount as we heard about the clinical experiences of our audience members.

Kathy Wisner and Meg Spinelli gave a course on Sunday focusing on infant morbidity and mortality in women with perinatal psychiatric disorders.

On Tuesday, Neill has assembled a great panel for a symposium entitled "Mood, Memory, and Myths: What Really Happens at Menopause" (SO 84) from 2-5 PM. She will be joined by Ellen Freeman, PhD, Claudio Soares, MD, PhD, and Anita Clayton, MD. Join us for what is certain to be an informative, entertaining, and provocative traipse through the menopause life-experience.