Case Scenario

Jane is a 30-year-old woman who is married with a 3-year-old child. She was diagnosed with depression and anxiety 12 months ago and has been taking sertraline, prescribed by her GP. She has told you that she feels better over the last 12 months, since starting sertraline. She has just discovered she is 6 weeks pregnant and is concerned about the safety of the fetus and whether she should now discontinue the sertraline. How would you advise her?

Learning Objectives

After reading this article, pharmacists should be able to:

  • Describe the risk factors for perinatal mental illness
  • Discuss the impact of perinatal mental illness on parents, children and society
  • Explain how pharmacists can support people experiencing perinatal mental illness.

Competency standards addressed: 1.1, 1.4, 1.5,2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, 3.6

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Introduction

Mental illnesses significantly contribute to disease burden for women of reproductive age. Anxiety is the leading cause of total burden for females aged 15–44 in Australia, and depressive disorders are among the three leading causes of total burden for females in this age group.1 Adult females in Australia more commonly experience anxie

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