Risk factors for Prenatal Depression (1 CE)

Number of Credits: 1

This course is for:  Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and LMFTs

Course By: Tim Grigsby, PhD

Content By: Field, T. (2017). Prenatal depression risk factors, developmental effects and interventions: A review. Journal of Pregnancy and Child Health, 4(1), doi:10.4172/2376-127X.1000301.

Course Description: The goal of this course is to introduce learners to the state of the evidence on the etiology and treatment of prenatal depression. Risk factors include demographic differences, psychological factors, and physiological markers. Screening and intervention programs are needed considering the breadth of negative effects including, but not limited to, postpartum depression, paternal depression, and health status of the newborn. More longitudinal research is also needed to document the long-term health effects of prenatal depression on children’s health through adulthood. Research is also needed to address existing methodological limitations, including lack of randomization in interventions, and strategies to identify underlying mechanisms that increase risk of prenatal depression.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the known demographic, physiological, and psychological risk factors for prenatal depression
2. Discuss the developmental effects of prenatal depression for pregnant women and their children
3. Compare and contrast medication-based, therapy-based, and complimentary interventions for prenatal depression

Course Outline:

• Read and understand Prenatal depression risk factors, developmental effects and interventions: A review
• Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
• Reflect on the causes and effects of prenatal maternal depression on the health of mothers and infants
• Work through the post-test questions; keep in mind that answer selections should be derived from the respective article
• Return to the referenced article for any missed questions and/or to better understand the psychological and biological correlates of prenatal depressions and possible treatment strategies

Implicit biases incorporate an association that occurs outside of conscious awareness that may resultantly lead to a negative patient evaluation derived from irrelevant characteristics; i.e. gender and/or race. A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Thirty-five studies identified the existence of implicit bias in healthcare professionals; all correlational studies evidenced a significant positive relationship between implicit bias levels and lower quality of care (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). Continued research in health care settings, combined with greater method homogeneity, should be employed to examine the occurrence and prevalence of implicit biases in healthcare settings as a strategic approach for mitigating related disparities (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017).

Reference

FitzGerald, C., Hurst, S. (2017). Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: A systematic review. BMC Med Ethics 18, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-017-0179-8

Approvals: