Room: Nautical Wheeler
Speaker(s):
Madeline Cusimano, MD
Presentation: Postpartum psychosis is a rare but severe maternal mental health condition that can emerge rapidly after childbirth and requires coordinated intervention across healthcare and community systems. This presentation will review core clinical features, risk factors, and early warning signs, with emphasis on distinguishing postpartum psychosis from more common perinatal mood disorders. Case examples will illustrate how symptoms may present across obstetric, emergency, outpatient, and child welfare settings.
The session will focus on the maternal health continuum of care, highlighting practical strategies for early identification, safety planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and prevention of escalation. System-level considerations – including care fragmentation, access to perinatal psychiatric services, and coordination with families and caregivers – will be discussed to support professionals working across behavioral health, medical, and community settings.
Objectives:
- Describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and diagnostic framework of postpartum psychosis (PPP)
- Differentiate PPP from postpartum OCD, severe postpartum depression, and primary psychotic disorders
- Review evidence-based acute treatment and relapse-prevention strategies, including lithium, antipsychotics, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- Recognize suicide and infanticide risk using a prevention-focused, evidence-based framework.
- Apply systems-level and family-centered strategies to the care of patients at high risk for PPP.
Slides and Handouts: