Obstetrics and Gynecology

Perinatal mental health conditions are those that occur during pregnancy and the year following childbirth, whether onset of the condition(s) predates pregnancy or occurs in the perinatal period. Perinatal mental health conditions are the leading cause of overall and preventable maternal mortality and include a wide array of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. Perinatal depression specifically affects 1 in 7 perinatal individuals. While commonly referred to as postpartum depression, it is more accurately called perinatal depression because its onset corresponds with prepregnancy (27%), pregnancy (33%), and postpartum (40%) time frames.