Women’s Mental Health Center

Many women experience mental health problems during pregnancy, the postpartum period, the menstrual cycle, and perimenopause. Yet much remains to be learned about why these are such vulnerable life stages, and which treatments show the most promise. At the Women’s Mental Health Center, our researchers are making important strides in advancing the understanding of women’s mental health across the reproductive cycle. Much of our research focuses on four topics:

• Postpartum psychosis and mania
• Psychiatric medications for women during pregnancy and the postpartum period
• Transgenerational psychiatry: how psychiatric disorders, genetic vulnerability, and treatments in mothers affect the development and well-being of their children
• Psychoneuroimmunology: how infections and immune responses impact the mental illness of mothers and their children

The patients we treat often inspire our research topics. In turn, our findings directly inform the way we care for patients. These findings also influence guidelines and policy in women’s mental health.

Our research has improved treatment of women with bipolar disorder before, during, and after pregnancy; helped patients and doctors make informed decisions about when to start, continue, or stop psychiatric medication during pregnancy; and enhanced the prevention and treatment of postpartum psychosis.

Our team includes physicians, social workers, and psychologists with specialized training in reproductive psychiatry. Our experienced providers are skilled at diagnosing and treating mental health conditions including anxiety and depression, and serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and postpartum psychosis. We treat patients using medication, talk therapy, and advanced treatments such as neurostimulation, with a focus on optimizing treatments to benefit both women and their children. We care for women across the reproductive lifespan, including:

• Patients with mental health problems related to menstrual cycles, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder
• Women with mood symptoms due to infertility or pregnancy loss
• Pregnant women or those planning a pregnancy
• New parents
• Patients experiencing mood disorders or cognitive symptoms related to perimenopause

As experts in medication management, we carefully consider the risks and benefits, and find a treatment approach that best supports a parent’s mental health while optimizing conditions for the developing baby. For patients with menstrual cycle-related or perimenopausal mood changes, we consider psychiatric medications and hormonal therapies.

Through our collaborative care program, our team works directly with doctors in the Raquel and Jaime Gilinski Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at Mount Sinai to treat women before, during, and after pregnancy, known as the perinatal period. We also treat patients referred to us from other providers within and outside the Mount Sinai Health System. For patients who are currently receiving mental health treatment, we can provide a one-time consultation or work with your existing provider to make recommendations for your care.

As leading experts in reproductive psychiatry, we are committed to training the next generation of specialists. This includes residency training for physicians in psychiatry and obstetrics, as well as research mentorship opportunities in reproductive psychiatry. Psychiatric residents and fellows have access to longitudinal clinical elective opportunities in collaboration with the obstetric team. We offer a special interest fellowship track in reproductive psychiatry within the consultation-liaison psychiatry fellowship. We also offer the T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Psychiatry for clinicians interested in learning to do research in women's mental health.

We are committed to furthering the field of reproductive psychiatry, frequently presenting our research at the national and international level and providing education to health care professionals from around the world. Our team offers consultation and guidance to trainees and providers throughout the Mount Sinai Health System. We hold weekly office hours every Tuesday at noon, open to students, trainees, faculty, and staff throughout the Mount Sinai community, to weigh in on questions regarding reproductive psychiatry. Please email thalia.robakis@mssm.edu for more information.