Psychiatry disorders in pregnancy and puerperium: classification, diagnosis and treatment

Abstract

Several questions regarding mental health during the period of pregnancy and puerperium are still open. Even this seems contradictory, many patient present sadness or anxiety instead of joy in these phases of life. The limits between physiological and the pathological one can be narrow, what it may generate doubts in obstetricians, physicians or psychiatrists. Many patients also feel guilty, harming the treatment and the acceptance of her pathology in a phase that theoretically would have to be of joy. Few decades ago till today, there are studies that investigate deeper on this topic, but some questions still are in discussion: the puerperal diseases could be a manifestation of a previous disease not adequately treated? Would be the pregnancy or the puerperium protective factors or risk factors for the psychiatric diseases development? Could be involved in the etiology the hormonal alterations that occur in this period? Which would be the main factors of risk? In which situations it would be adjusted to use medications as treatment? This article has the proposal to discuss some of these questions that are immersed on a topic that is still opening to investigation to let us with more accuracy conclusions.