Perinatal Mental Health Disorders & Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real PMH-C practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Perinatal Mental Health Disorders & Assessment flashcards as text
A woman with a history of bipolar I disorder becomes pregnant. Compared to the general population, her risk of postpartum psychosis is:
Answer: Substantially elevated at 25–50%
Women with bipolar I disorder have a markedly elevated risk of postpartum psychosis, estimated at 25–50%, compared to approximately 1–2 per 1,000 in the general population.
Which of the following best describes the concept of 'birth trauma' in perinatal mental health?
Answer: A subjective experience of distress during or after childbirth that may lead to PTSD symptoms
Birth trauma refers to the psychological experience of childbirth as traumatic, which may lead to PTSD-like symptoms regardless of objective medical complications.
Which neurotransmitter system is most implicated in the rapid hormonal withdrawal theory of postpartum mood disorders?
Answer: GABAergic system influenced by allopregnanolone
The sharp postpartum drop in allopregnanolone (a progesterone metabolite that modulates GABA-A receptors) is strongly implicated in perinatal mood dysregulation.
A postpartum patient scores 14 on the EPDS and endorses item 10 (self-harm ideation). What is the recommended immediate clinical response?
Answer: Conduct a full suicide risk assessment and create a safety plan
Endorsement of EPDS item 10 (suicidal ideation) requires immediate comprehensive suicide risk assessment and safety planning regardless of the total score.
Perinatal anxiety affects approximately what percentage of pregnant and postpartum women?
Answer: 15–20%
Research consistently estimates that anxiety disorders affect approximately 15–20% of perinatal women, making it at least as common as perinatal depression.
Which statement about postpartum blues is accurate?
Answer: Postpartum blues peak around days 3–5 and resolve within two weeks
Postpartum blues are a normative, self-limiting emotional response peaking around days 3–5 postpartum, typically resolving within two weeks without pharmacological intervention.
A clinician is assessing a postpartum patient for depression. Which EPDS item is designed to assess anhedonia?
Answer: Item 1 (ability to laugh)
EPDS item 1 ('I have been able to laugh and see the funny side of things') assesses hedonic capacity, a core feature of depression.