Desórdenes psiquiátricos en el puerperio: nuestro papel como obstetras

Abstract

Mental illness is a serious public health problem in our setting, leading to high morbidity and very high social costs. The incidence of mental illness is higher in women. Pregnancy and the puerperium are stressors that can trigger or exacerbate preexisting psychiatric disorders. This review aims to raise awareness of the importance of hidden psychological morbidity in women both for individuals and for society as a whole, to identify the most common major psychiatric syndromes -distinguishing those that can be treated by gynecologists from those that require referral to a specialist mental health service- and to examine in greater depth the disorders that are closely related to Obstetrics during the puerperium (depression and postpartum psychosis).