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 32-year-old woman at 6 weeks postpartum denies depression but scores 13 on the EPDS. She reports her worst symptom is constant worry about her baby's health. Which additional screening tool would be most useful?
Answer: GAD-7
The GAD-7 is a validated tool for assessing generalized anxiety disorder severity and would complement the EPDS by quantifying her predominant anxiety symptoms.
Which of the following presentations should prompt a clinician to screen specifically for bipolar disorder in a postpartum patient presenting with mood symptoms?
Answer: Family history of bipolar disorder, rapid mood shifts, and decreased need for sleep
Family history of bipolar disorder combined with rapid mood cycling and decreased need for sleep are red flags warranting bipolar screening before initiating antidepressant monotherapy.
The EPDS item that most directly assesses panic is:
Answer: Item 5 ('I have felt scared or panicky for no very good reason')
EPDS item 5 directly asks about feelings of being scared or panicky without a clear reason, making it the most targeted item for panic-like experiences.
Infanticide risk in postpartum psychosis is most directly associated with which psychotic feature?
Answer: Command hallucinations or delusions instructing harm to the infant
Command hallucinations or delusions (e.g., the belief that the infant must die to be 'saved') directly drive infanticide risk in postpartum psychosis.
A perinatal mental health clinician is conducting a comprehensive assessment. Which domain is LEAST likely to be included in a validated perinatal mental health intake evaluation?
Answer: Detailed financial investment portfolio review
Financial investment details are not clinically relevant to perinatal mental health risk assessment; social support, trauma history, and prior PMAD history are all established domains.
Which of the following is an evidence-based psychotherapy with the strongest support for treating postpartum depression?
Answer: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT has the strongest evidence base for treating postpartum depression, with multiple RCTs demonstrating efficacy comparable to antidepressant medication.
A postpartum patient reports she had 'the baby blues' that never went away — she has been tearful, exhausted, and detached from her infant for 8 weeks. The correct clinical interpretation is:
Answer: This presentation is consistent with postpartum depression requiring clinical assessment and treatment
Baby blues lasting beyond two weeks that are accompanied by functional impairment and detachment from the infant meet criteria for postpartum depression, not postpartum blues.