Dr. Veerle Bergink, MD, PhD, a leading expert in perinatal psychiatry, shares how she began studying postpartum psychosis. She shares insights from her landmark cohort study and other work, discussing sleep disruption, immune and hormonal changes, and thyroid dysfunction as factors in postpartum psychosis. She also shares unanswered questions about psychosis and bipolar, including risk factors, biological triggers, and long-term outcomes including risks around menopause.

We discuss ideal care scenarios, the importance of specialized perinatal psychiatric care, and how supporting a parent’s mental health is central to family well-being. Dr. Bergink emphasizes the need to GET LOUD about awareness, research, and advocacy around postpartum psychosis.

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