Clinical challenges in mental health presentations and interventions during the perinatal period: a cross-sectional, retrospective record-based study in a specialist perinatal clinic

Background: Presentations of perinatal psychiatric illnesses vary widely, and there are management concerns, particularly with medications, probably because of inadequate awareness and cautionary statements from licensing organizations. Aims: This study aimed to assess the clinical profile of psychiatric patients and the real-world interventions provided in a specialist perinatal clinic. Methods: Data from 30 antenatal and 30 postnatal consecutive patients attending perinatal psychiatry outpatient clinics covering two cities in the West Midlands, England, were collected from electronic case records. Results: The average age of the participants was 30.3 ± 5.2 years; the mean gestational duration was 6.5 ± 2.1 months, and the mean postnatal period was 6.5 ± 5.0 months. Mixed anxiety and depression (40.0%), emotionally unstable personality disorder (35.0%), and postnatal depression (20.0%) were more frequent diagnoses; comorbidity was present in 58.3%. Most (71.7%) of the patients were prescribed regular psychiatric medications, and 35% had “as required” medications; however, 25% had no regular or as-required medications. Antidepressants were given in 56.7%; most commonly sertraline and citalopram. Around a quarter (26.7%) of antenatal and half (46.7%) of postnatal patients received antipsychotic drugs, aripiprazole and quetiapine being the most commonly prescribed. Common as-required medications were promethazine, diazepam, and zopiclone. Verbal (78.3%) and written (35.0%) information about medications was provided, and 45% received psychological interventions. Conclusion: Most women with mental illness in the perinatal period were prescribed psychiatric drugs. Interventions can be improved through psychoeducation about medications, providing written information, and psychotherapeutic support.

Citation

McWilliam S, Gupta N, Kar N. (2026) Clinical challenges in mental health presentations and interventions during the perinatal period: A cross‑sectional, retrospective record‑based study in a specialist perinatal clinic. Journal of Psychiatry Spectrum 0;0:0.

Type

Journal article

Language

en

Description

© 2026 The authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://journals.lww.com/jops/abstract/9900/clinical_challenges_in_mental_health_presentations.36.aspx

ISSN

2949-6950

Collections

Faculty of Science and Engineering