May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a perfect time to shine awareness on some of the mental health conditions that might affect patients who are pregnant or who recently have given birth. The physicians at Oakdale ObGyn treat the whole patient, including any mental or behavioral health issues, and they recently added a mental health component to their care team.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year. The combination of physical, social, and emotional changes during and immediately following pregnancy can sometimes lead to mental health issues. Most are treatable, but early intervention is important. Some of the more common perinatal mental health conditions include:
- Baby Blues. Sudden mood swings may occur right after childbirth and don’t necessarily indicate the presence of a more serious mental health condition. They are very common and usually temporary.
- Perinatal Anxiety Disorders. Several forms of anxiety may present themselves during pregnancy or during the post-partum period, including generalized anxiety, panic, and social anxiety. A personal or family history of anxiety raises the risk factor.
- Post-Partum Depression. For anyone with a history of depression, post-partum depressive episodes may occur during pregnancy or within a year of giving birth. The onset may be gradual, and symptoms may last up to a year or longer.
- Post-Partum Psychosis. This diagnosis goes beyond post-partum depression and often includes a disconnect with reality. It usually occurs suddenly following childbirth and can be treated.
Sometimes, however, providers detect more serious mental health concerns that go beyond perinatal issues, including major depression, bipolar disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Oakdale ObGyn is now partnering with Mindoula to treat patients with mental or behavioral health concerns, eliminating long waits for mental health therapy and providing access to virtual treatment options.
Mindoula is a collaborative care program that works as an extension of Oakdale ObGyn and interfaces with Oakdale’s electronic medical record system. If your Oakdale ObGyn provider suspects a mental health issue, he or she will place an order with Mindoula, and a representative from Mindoula will give you a call for a virtual discussion. Any treatment options that Mindoula recommends will be discussed with your Oakdale ObGyn provider before they are suggested to you. Mindoula care managers will continue to support you and connect you with in-person resources, as needed.
If you suspect you have a mental or behavioral health issues, please talk with your Oakdale ObGyn provider now. We can help!
988 Is A Mental Health Lifeline
If you believe you are in a crisis situation, call or text 988 immediately.