What are Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD)?

What are Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD)?

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) are a set of disorders that can occur anytime during pregnancy and the first year postpartum. PMAD includes Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Postpartum Psychosis.

Right now, it is estimated that 10% to 20% of reproductive people will develop a PMAD. If you are a person of color, it’s probably double.

Over 800,000 cases are reported in the U.S. each year, making PMAD the most common maternal health complication.

Symptoms can include:

  • Frequent crying
  • Sleep and appetite changes
  • Feelings of loneliness, sadness, helplessness
  • Frequent mood swings
  • Repetitive, sometimes scary thoughts that won’t go away
  • Anger, frustration, irritability
  • Difficulty bonding with your baby
  • Anxiety, panic, excessive worry
  • Feelings of being trapped
  • Fear of being left alone with your baby
  • Sense of doom
  • Lack of interest in life, feeling sluggish, fatigued, exhausted
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Feeling restless or wired
  • Thoughts of hurting yourself or those around you