Guideline No. 454: Identification and Treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Objective: To help perinatal health care providers identify and assist pregnant and postpartum patients with perinatal mental illness, specifically perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Areas of focus include risk factors and identification, screening, treatment, and referral.

Target population: All individuals who are pregnant or in the first year postpartum.

Outcomes: Open dialogue and evidence-informed care for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including competency for identification, screening, treatment, and referral, which will lead to improvements in patient care.

Benefits, harms, and costs: Pregnant and postpartum individuals with untreated perinatal mental illness, including mood and anxiety disorders, may suffer devastating effects and their family may experience short- and long-term adverse outcomes.

Evidence: A literature search was conducted using Medline (Ovid), PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library from inception to June 2024. Additional articles were identified from article bibliographies and grey literature published by reputable societies and organizations (see online Appendix A).

Validation methods: The authors rated the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. See online Appendix B (Tables B1 for definitions and B2 for interpretations of strong and weak recommendations).

Intended audience: All heath care providers who provide preconception counselling and/or care during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The term "perinatal" will be used throughout this guideline to refer to these health care providers.

Social media abstract: New SOGC Guideline! Identify, support, and treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Focused on risk factors, screening, treatment and referrals during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Let's open dialogue and provide evidence-informed care for improved patient outcomes.

Summary statements: RECOMMENDATIONS: IDENTIFICATION AND RISKSCREENINGTREATMENT.