Jyoti Sachdeva, MD, medical director of psychiatry services at West Chester Hospital and associate professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, oversees mental health and wellness services for West Chester Hospital.
Now, a new perinatal Mood Disorders Group meets weekly at the UC Health Women’s Center at West Chester Hospital to provide training in coping skills and support to mothers suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It is limited to six women per group and currently meets Tuesday mornings for one hour, for up to six weeks.
“It can be frustrating for pregnant women or new moms who are told that motherhood should be a joyous occasion, but they might be feeling sadness, extreme worry, anxiety or panic. That’s when you should consult a doctor to determine if these feelings could be a sign of a mental health disorder.
“Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (known as PMAD) are a set of disorders that can occur anytime during pregnancy and the first year postpartum,” says Sachdeva. “These disorders can include depression, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and even posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and in extreme cases, postpartum psychosis.” Sachdeva says that 1 in 7 women will develop a PMAD in their lifetime.
“With the body’s changing hormone levels in pregnancy and in postpartum, there’s a risk of relapse or exacerbation of mental illness, perhaps even an initial onset for depression or anxiety, so there should be close follow up by a provider.”
The perinatal support group is an extension of the Reproductive Psychiatry Clinic, which opened last year as a service of the UC Health Women’s Center. The new group will meet at the Women’s Center, located at 7675 Wellness Way, West Chester, Ohio.
The sessions are facilitated by Sachdeva as well as Jan Faeri, PsyD, clinical psychologist for the Women’s Center and Candace Miller, medical assistant.
For more information, to ask questions or to schedule a screening appointment with a member of the reproductive psychiatry team, please call 513-558-7700.
Weekly Classes Geared for Managing Wellness for Depression and Anxiety
Another group session begins this month with a focus on managing wellness. Wellness Solutions for Depression and Anxiety is a series of weekly classes designed by Sachdeva and Barbara Walker, PhD, a health and performance psychologist with UC Health and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. Each 60-minute class is designed as a 4-session series, but can be taken as standalones.
Walker, who is also part of the UC Center for Integrative Health and Wellness, will lead the course. She says, “There will be both educational and experiential components, as well as self-assessments and resources for further self-exploration.”
These Wellness Solutions courses will provide opportunities for participants to explore lifestyle aspects and create a realistic action plan that will work within the framework of their own lives. Walker says, “We will address such areas as how to recognize and manage stress—it’s all around us and not going away—so it’s important to understand the controllable aspects, minimizing those stressors, and create a personal plan for wellness and recovery.”
Each week’s class (offered on Wednesdays) addresses a different aspect of managing wellness. The fourth Wednesday of each month will address the science behind and practice of mindfulness meditation.
The classes begin Oct. 3, but will restart the first Wednesday of each month:
1st Wednesday: Healthy Lifestyle to Conquer Anxiety and Depression
2nd Wednesday: Recognizing and Managing Stress
3rd Wednesday: Effective Cognitive Strategies to Stress Reduction
4th Wednesday: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
The classes are offered at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, and cost $15 per class session.
Register Online at: https://uchealth.com/integrative/classesandevents/