Amy Wenzel: Anxiety in Childbearing Women—Diagnosis and treatment

Excerpt

The time during pregnancy and the postnatal period is one of great transition both physically and psychologically. This transition is a time that can bring great joy and anticipation as well as stress and the need for adjustment. Depression during this phase has been well studied. In contrast, much less attention has been paid to anxiety. New presentations of clinically significant anxiety and exacerbation of current or past anxiety disorders during the prenatal and postpartum phases can be extremely distressing and impairing. Attention to the presence of anxiety disorders is important for optimal care of both mother and baby as they have been shown to predict postpartum distress outcomes (Mauri et al. 2010). Leading the way in this field, Amy Wenzel has synthesized research findings in the areas of psychology, psychiatry, nursing, obstetrics and gynecology, and neuroscience to provide a comprehensive text on anxiety during the prenatal and postpartum periods. …