Latest news with #VeerleBergink
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Your sister's postpartum mental health could affect yours—here's what new research reveals
When I had my second baby, I invited my sister, who at the time was living nearby—to attend the birth. My first labor and delivery had been such a shock, that I felt it was important to share the birth experience with her, so she'd be less in the dark if she one day had kids. She remains grateful for that precious experience we shared. Turns out, sisters share a lot. If you're pregnant or thinking about having a baby, you've probably heard of postpartum depression (PPD). But there's another, rarer postpartum mental health condition that deserves more attention: postpartum psychosis. And according to a new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, your sibling's experience with it could be more relevant to your own mental health than you might expect. Researchers at Mount Sinai examined over 1.6 million women using Swedish national health records and uncovered a startling statistic: If your sister had postpartum psychosis, your own risk increases tenfold. That number rises to 14 times higher if she also has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. You can read the study here: American Journal of Psychiatry and coverage from Neuroscience News. Let's pause here. That relative risk sounds terrifying—but what does it really mean? While a tenfold increase sounds massive, it's important to understand that the absolute risk of postpartum psychosis remains low: about 1.6%. That nuance matters. This is not about panic. it's about being prepared. 'Every woman of childbearing age and their physicians need to know about the existence of, severity, symptoms, and familial risk for postpartum psychosis so it can be promptly diagnosed and, hopefully, prevented,' said Dr. Veerle Bergink, Director of the Women's Mental Health Center at Mount Sinai and co-senior author of the study. Here's why this research matters for moms—and for sisters. Related: I recovered from postpartum psychosis: Here are 5 things I learned This isn't the baby blues, and it's not the same as PPD. Postpartum psychosis is a severe psychiatric emergency. It often appears within days to weeks after childbirth and can include: Hallucinations Delusions Paranoia Insomnia Rapid mood swings Disorganized thinking Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming the baby These symptoms can be terrifying—and potentially life-threatening—if left untreated. If your sister experienced postpartum psychosis, talk to your provider as early as possible in your pregnancy, or even before you conceive. You might benefit from closer monitoring, earlier mental health screenings, and a tailored postpartum support plan. Preventive steps could include: Building a mental health care team before delivery Arranging postpartum support (think night doulas, therapist check-ins, or medication plans if appropriate) Involving partners, family, or close friends in awareness of early symptoms Avoiding sleep deprivation, a common trigger, through shared caregiving Knowledge is power—but only if we act on it. Too often, maternal mental health risks fly under the radar, especially rare ones like postpartum psychosis. And when risks aren't well known, moms suffer in silence. This study offers an opportunity to change that by building systems of support and awareness before a crisis hits. As Dr. Bergink put it: 'Too many women at higher risk don't know it—and are left on their own with a new baby and no support.' And that's a systemic failure—not a personal one. It's the result of a healthcare culture that still doesn't treat maternal mental health as central to maternal health. We deserve better. So if you're pregnant or postpartum, or supporting someone who is, and you know there's a family history, bring it up. Advocate for a plan. Make space for mental health in your birth and parenting journey. Because when moms are supported, everyone wins. Related: 75% of women go untreated for postpartum mental health conditions If you or someone you love is experiencing distress during or after pregnancy, you are not alone. Maternal mental health challenges are real, but treatable—and compassionate help is available. Postpartum Support International (PSI) provides free, confidential support. Call or text the HelpLine at 1-800-944-4773 (4PPD). You can also text in English (send 'HELP' to 800-944-4773) or Spanish (send 'AYUDA' to 971-203-7773). Find local providers, peer support groups, and more at National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) is available 24/7. Call or text 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746) to speak with counselors trained in maternal mental health. This service is free, confidential, and available in English and Spanish. Learn more at Moms Mental Health Initiative, a mom-founded nonprofit, offers peer-driven support, resource navigation, and advocacy for those struggling with perinatal mental health conditions. Visit to find tools, stories, and support tailored for mothers. In an emergency or immediate crisis—such as suicidal thoughts or feeling unsafe—call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit You'll be connected with trained counselors who are there to listen and help you stay safe. Let's keep breaking the silence around maternal mental health—because when we speak up, we help others find their way to healing too.
Medscape
22-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Postpartum Psychosis Risk Linked to Sister's Medical History
LOS ANGELES — Risk for postpartum psychosis is significantly higher in women who have a sister who has experienced the condition and/or has bipolar disorder (BD), a new study showed. In a population-based cohort study of nearly 1.7 million women, those with a full sister who had had the disorder were 10 times more likely to have postpartum psychosis than those whose sister did not have it. Odds of developing the condition were doubled when a sister had BD and about 14-fold higher if a sister had both BD and postpartum psychosis. Although rare, postpartum psychosis is considered 'one of the most severe psychiatric conditions,' co-investigator Veerle Bergink, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and director of Mount Sinai's Women's Mental Health Center, New York City, and colleagues noted. If not addressed and treated, the condition has been linked to increased risk for suicide and infanticide. But findings such as these can help clinicians identify those at potentially greater risk and make a plan, Bergink told Medscape Medical News. 'You don't have to start medication right away, but we do need to be aware' of the risk, she said. The findings were presented on May 19 at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2025 Annual Meeting and were simultaneously published online in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Relative Risks Postpartum psychosis typically occurs in the first 3 months after childbirth, with onset most likely in the first month. It can also occur in women who have no history of psychiatric illness and is the leading cause of maternal deaths, the researchers noted. If a woman shows symptoms of the condition — which include excessive energy, agitation, paranoia, confusion, and sleep problems — it should be addressed as a medical emergency, they added. Although previous research has shown that genetic factors can contribute to increased postpartum psychosis risk, the magnitude of that contribution has been unclear. In the current analysis, Bergink and colleagues examined data from Swedish national registers for 1,648,759 women who gave birth between January 1980 and September 2017. The primary outcome was a diagnosis of postpartum psychosis. Results showed that 2514 of the total participants — only 0.15% — had postpartum psychosis within the first 3 months of the birth of their first child. However, after adjusting for year and age at childbirth, the relative recurrence risk (RRR) was 10.69 for the condition in mothers with a full sister who had experienced the condition compared with mothers with a sister who had not experienced it (95% CI, 6.6-16.3; P < .001). Still, the absolute risk for those with an affected sister was estimated at just 1.6%. In the women diagnosed with postpartum psychosis, 49% had a history of BD, and 24% had a history of other mental health diagnoses. Prevalence of BD was 1.4% for the entire participant population. The odds ratio (OR) for postpartum psychosis when a sister had BD was 2.1 (95% CI, 1.0-4.0; P = .04). In addition, the combined OR was approximately 14.3 when a sister had experienced postpartum psychosis while also having BD. The RRR was also increased when a woman had a full woman cousin with postpartum psychosis, but it was not statistically significant when adjusted for birth year and age at childbirth or when adjusted for those factors plus history of BD. 'Our results provide guidance for clinicians working with pregnant women with personal or family histories of postpartum psychosis,' the investigators wrote. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) Inclusion? Bergink noted that the condition is not currently listed as a stand-alone disorder in any version of the DSM. However, numerous research groups are collaborating to develop criteria for its inclusion in future iterations of the manual. They propose that criteria should include experiencing at least one of the following within 3 months of childbirth, with a duration of at least 1 week or of any duration if hospitalization is necessary: Mania/mixed state, delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or thoughts, and disorganized or confused behavior. Asked during a question-and-answer session if family history screenings are currently being done among women who are pregnant, Bergink answered, 'In general, no, but it should be.' 'Because of the potential negative impacts, sometimes severe, on mother and baby, this disorder needs to be identified and effectively treated,' Ned H. Kalin, MD, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Psychiatry and professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, said in a press release. The current study is important because it highlighted the increased risk when the condition runs in families, he told Medscape Medical News . 'It also underscores the importance of understanding that risk and of working with your OB-GYN [obstetrician-gynecologist] doctor or psychiatrist to help reduce and mitigate the risk with treatment and close observation,' Kalin said. Bringing 'Stigma Out of the Darkness' Although postpartum psychosis is considered quite rare, tragic aftereffects in some undiagnosed and untreated women have been widely reported in the media. At the press briefing, Bergink shared that a medical colleague with the condition recently shot and killed herself and her baby girl. 'Unfortunately, not all cases are detected in time. At Sinai, we lost a colleague who had no psychiatric history and her baby,' she said. 'That happens. And it can occur in anyone.' Michael F. Myers, MD, chair of the APA meeting's Scientific Program Committee, shared that he was involved with two situations where patients had extreme forms of the condition, including one where a woman psychiatrist killed herself and her child. 'You hear about postpartum depression and postpartum blues. But then there's this subset that is not only dangerous to themselves but also to their baby,' Myers told Medscape Medical News. 'Talking about these situations is how we bring the stigma [about the condition] out of the darkness.' Psychiatric History Not Always a Factor 'There's a theme that having a psychiatric history is the main predictor for postpartum psychosis. But sometimes we miss it,' Misty C. Richards, MD, associate professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and medical director of perinatal psychiatry for the university's Maternal Outpatient Mental Health Services Clinic, said at the briefing. She added that, as a clinician, 'you do the best that you can to try to catch this early because things can become wildly out of control in the postpartum period. Infanticide should just never happen.' She later told Medscape Medical News that the symptoms of postpartum psychosis differ from those of schizophrenia because they wax and wane and almost present as delirium. 'So you can be lucid one minute and the next be wildly delusional. It's usually in the setting of poor sleep and severe anxiety and becomes an emergency very quickly,' Richards said. She added that this is much more extreme than a normal response to the chaos that often occurs during the first week after delivery. 'People may think, 'Oh, she'll shake it off and be okay.' But no. If you miss it, that's when it can be catastrophic,' she concluded.
