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Perinatal Patients with Manic Symptoms

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Women's Mood Disorders

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Abstract

Accurately diagnosing bipolar affective disorders (i.e., bipolar I, bipolar II, and subthreshold symptoms) is one of the more challenging tasks in clinical psychiatry. This is especially true in and around pregnancy, when individuals may present with their first major affective episodes, including manic episodes. There is significant overlap in the emotional and behavioral manifestations of hormonal changes due to pregnancy and delivery, the challenges of new parenthood, and underlying affective disorders. This chapter will explore the presentation, diagnostic considerations, treatment approach, and prognosis of bipolar affective disorders in the perinatal timeframe, focusing on mania and postpartum psychosis. The presentation of these issues can be remarkably variable. Postpartum psychosis is frequently an affective psychosis, and many individuals go on to be diagnosed with bipolar affective disorders later in life. Perinatal mania and postpartum psychosis may present as psychiatric emergencies with significant associated morbidity and mortality.

Note that psychosis associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders will be reviewed in Chap. 13.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Rebecca L. Bottom

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  1. Rebecca L. Bottom
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Correspondence to Rebecca L. Bottom .

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  1. Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Elizabeth Cox

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Bottom, R.L. (2021). Perinatal Patients with Manic Symptoms. In: Cox, E. (eds) Women's Mood Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71497-0_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71497-0_12

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-71496-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-71497-0

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