Abstract
Perinatal mental illness is a major complication that occurs during pregnancy and the postpartum period and can affect approximately 20% of women. Among the various mental illnesses, anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, or specific phobias) are the most common but are often undiagnosed, as anxiety during pregnancy and childbirth is generally considered a normal phenomenon. However, during recent years, researchers have found that an undiagnosed and untreated anxiety disorder during pregnancy or the postpartum period can affect both the mother and newborn. Early identification of risk factors, prompt diagnosis using valid screening tools, and rapid intervention with personalized treatment all remain a challenge for both researchers and perinatal psychiatrists to prevent short- and long-term consequences of mental health disorders for both the mother and child.
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Barone, Y., Cuniberti, F., Perna, G. (2022). Anxiety Disorders. In: Percudani, M., Bramante, A., Brenna, V., Pariante, C. (eds) Key Topics in Perinatal Mental Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91832-3_4
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