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Symposium

Behavioral Medicine, Chronic Illness, and Integrated Primary Care
Symposium

Symposium 33 - From Trying to Conceive to Postpartum: Evidence-Based Approaches to Peripartum Mental Health

Friday, June 26, 2026
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM PDT
Location: Yerba Buena Salon 11, B3 Level
CE: 1.5

Keywords: Perinatal , Underserved Populations , Women's Health
Level of Familiarity: Basic to Moderate
Recommended Readings: American Psychiatric Association, & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation. (2023). Perinatal mental and substance use disorders: White paper. American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/getmedia/344c26e2-cdf5-47df-a5d7-a2d444fc1923/APA-CDC-Perinatal-Mental-and-Substance-Use-Disorders-Whitepaper.pdf,   Hellberg, S. N., Bruening, A. B., Thompson, K. A., & Hopkins, T. A. (2023). Applications of dialectical behavioural therapy in the perinatal period: A scoping review. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 10.1002/cpp.2937. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2937,   Infertility prevalence estimates, 1990–2021. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.,   ,  

Peripartum mental health conditions are common, clinically significant, and frequently underrecognized. While 1 in 6 adults trying to get pregnant globally experience infertility (WHO, 2023), infertility care is largely inaccessible. For those who do seek infertility treatments, the process can often be stressful. Approximately 1 in 5 pregnant or postpartum individuals experience a mood, anxiety, or related psychiatric disorder (Gavin et al., 2005), yet many remain untreated despite clear associations between unmanaged symptoms and adverse outcomes for both the birthing parent and child. Despite the high prevalence, pregnant people are often termed “therapeutic Orphans” (Winser et al., 2020) because so many of these individuals do not receive the needed mental health care. This is likely due to many factors including a lack of training in applying or adapting therapeutic interventions for peripartum patients. This lack of adequate care is unfortunate due to the available evidence suggesting that untreated depression and anxiety symptoms can negatively impact fertility (Liao et al, 2024), pregnancy outcomes (Heun-Johnson, et al., 2019), and the wellbeing of the pregnant person and child postpartum (Nath et al., 2019, Hoffman et al., 2017). Notably, several evidence-based therapies have been associated with helping individuals with stress reduction, mood improvement, and management of anxiety symptoms in the peripartum period.
This symposium synthesizes current evidence and national guidance to address critical gaps in peripartum mental health care across the continuum from trying to conceive through postpartum. Drawing on findings from a CDC Foundation–funded needs assessment conducted by the American Psychiatric Association and other professional literature, this presentation highlights key clinical considerations (APA & CDC, 2023).
The first presentation reports on an evidence-based overview of the current state of peripartum mental health, focusing on epidemiology, risks of untreated illness, and clinical considerations for determining the appropriate level of care. The second presentation focuses on mental health challenges facing individuals who are trying to conceive & evidence based approaches that can be helpful to this population. The third presentation describes adaptations of DBT during pregnancy and postpartum. Finally, the fourth presentation reviews foundational principles for considering psychopharmacologic treatment during the peripartum period.
Presenters bring together diverse clinical backgrounds in approaching interventions to support individuals with peripartum mental health needs. Presenter backgrounds cover both psychologist & psychiatrist perspectives & expertise, CBT/DBT/mindfulness therapeutic interventions, and experience in applying interventions in a variety of clinical settings. The discussant will facilitate discussion and audience participation to support this symposium’s aims, which are to equip mental health professionals with evidence-based, clinically actionable strategies to improve confidence, competence, and quality of care for peripartum patients, ultimately advancing outcomes for families during this critical developmental period.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss the current state of peripartum mental health, focusing on epidemiology, risks of untreated illness, and clinical considerations
  • Review evidence-based therapies/skills that are relevant and helpful for individuals during the peripartum stage
  • Describe adaptations of CBT & DBT that will allow attendees to utilize their current knowledge set more confidently with peripartum patients.
  • Discuss special considerations for treating peripartum individuals, including: individual & group therapies, inpatient & LGBTQ+
  • Explain basics of utilizing psychotropic medications & how to support patients who have questions about medication use during the peripartum period.

Presentations:

  • 4:06 PM - 4:27 PM PDT
    (SYM 33) From Prevalence to Placement: Epidemiology, Risk, and Level-of-care Decisions in Peripartum Mental Health

    Speaker: Neda Kharrazi, Psy.D. (she/her/hers) – Stanford University School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

  • 4:27 PM - 4:48 PM PDT
    (SYM 33) Adapting Dialectical and Behavior Therapy Skills for Pregnancy and Postpartum

    Speaker: Elsa Rojas-Ashe, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Stanford University

  • 4:48 PM - 5:09 PM PDT
    (SYM 33) From Prevalence to Placement: Epidemiology, Risk, and Level-of-care Decisions in Peripartum Mental Health

    Speaker: Connor Adams, Psy.D. (She/They) – Stanford University

  • 5:09 PM - 5:30 PM PDT
    (SYM 33) Pharmacologic Considerations in the Peripartum Period

    Speaker: Christina T. Khan, M.D., Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Stanford University School of Medicine