Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are often underdiagnosed in non-birthing partners, despite affecting approximately 1 in 10 fathers (Alvarez-Garcia et al., 2024; Reay et al, 2023). Family-centered care often prioritizes the birthing parent and infant, overlooking the mental health needs of partners, despite including “family” in the title. Expanding the scope of perinatal mental health to include non-birthing parents enhances integrated care teams’ awareness and ability to normalize, assess, and treat PMADs beyond the birthing parent. This presentation will explore why integrated care providers are uniquely positioned to address these mental health concerns. We will discuss evidence-based strategies for assessing and treating PMADs in partners and present case examples demonstrating how interdisciplinary teams can effectively support the entire family unit.
Petra Zdenkova PsyD, MBA, PMH-C, Clinical Psychologist, Samaritan Health Services, Albany, Oregon
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