PMH-C Intake Screening Exam
Questions and Complete Solutions
Graded A+
Perinatal Period - Answer: Conception through the first year after giving birth.
Antenatal - Answer: Term meaning "During Pregnancy"
Postpartum/Postnatal - Answer: The first year after giving birth
Disorders - Answer: Get in the way of daily functioning.
Every year, how many infants are born to mothers who are depressed? - Answer: 400,000, making
perinatal depression the most under diagnosed obstetric complication in America.
What is the prevalence of PMAD's for women? - Answer: 1 out of 5-7 women.
What is the prevalence of PMAD's for men? - Answer: 1 out of 10 men.
What is the cost of untreated PMAD's? - Answer: $14.2 Billion annually
How many pregnancies are unplanned? - Answer: ~50%
What are the PMAD etiologies (causes)? - Answer: Biological Sensitivity to hormonal changes (sleep
deprivation), Vulnerability (such as genetic disposition), psychological (relationship with own mother,
ambivalence to parenthood, self-image/perfectionism), Social/environmental (hx of trauma, poor social
support, institutional racism).
In what ways does culture influence whether PMAD's are recognized? - Answer: There are diverse ways
that mothers conceptualize and explain their symptoms culturally. They may not feel they are safe to
,express their symptoms. May be expressed in somatic (eg. stomach pains or appetite changes) or
affective ways (moods, feelings).
Why is there variability in prevalence rates of PMAD's? - Answer: Cultural context, screening inventories,
cutoffs used on objective measures, timing of screening and onset of symptoms, relationship between
the subject and the researcher.
What is the strongest predictor for paternal depression? - Answer: Maternal depression
When do father's depressive symptoms spike? - Answer: Between 3-6 months postpartum
What is "masked" male depression? - Answer: Rather than sadness- men may: increase substance use,
be more irritable/ aggressive/ hostile, may "check out", and self-isolate.
Possible factors for partner depression. - Answer: Feeling burdened/trapped, financial burdens, feeling
left out, missing sexual relationship, sleep deprivation, isolation and loneliness, poor social support
network.
Percentage of new mothers are universally affected by baby blues - Answer: 60-80%
Hormone fluctuation at the time of birth and acute sleep deprivation can lead to what common
situation or non-disorder? - Answer: baby blues
How long do the baby blues last? - Answer: 2 days to 2 weeks after birth
When do baby blues typically peak? - Answer: on day 3-5 after delivery.
What are the symptoms of baby blues? - Answer: tearfulness, lability, reactivity, and exhaustion.
Unrelated to stress or prior psychiatric hx.
When making a determination between baby blues and major depression, what should be considered? -
Answer: severity/intensity, timing/onset, duration/chronicity
,Under the DSM-5, what code can we use for postpartum depression? - Answer: Major Unipolar
Depression (with peripartum onset)
For the DSM-5 code of Major Unipolar Depression (with peripartum onset), 5 or more symptoms must
be present with the same 2-week period: - Answer: Depressed mood most of the day nearly every day.
Loss of interest, joy or pleasure (anhedonia).
Significant wt or appetite changes. Sleep disturbances.
Psychomotor agitation/retardation.
Fatigue/loss of energy.
Poor concentration/focus/indecisiveness.
Feelings of worthlessness.
Excessive/inappropriate guilt.
Recurrent thoughts of death/suicidal thoughts.
Signs of Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Answer: Excessive anxiety/worry.
Difficulty controlling one's worry.
Agitation/Irritability.
Restlessness + poor concentration.
Easily fatigues/sleep disturbances.
Increased somatic symptoms.
What is the prevalence for prenatal anxiety? - Answer: 15.8%
What is the prevalence for postpartum anxiety symptoms? - Answer: 8%-20%
Panic Disorder symptoms? - Answer: Episodes of intense fear or discomfort peaks within minutes.
SOB, chest pain, dizziness, choking feeling.
Hot/Cold flashes.
, Restlessness, rapid heartbeat, numbness/tingling sensations.
Excessive worry/fear.
Feeling as though "going crazy", losing control, or having a future attack.
Often no identifiable trigger.
What are the 3 greatest fears of a panic disorder? - Answer: Fear of dying
Fear of losing control
Fear of going crazy
Obsessions - Answer: Recurrent + persistent thoughts/ impulses that are intrusive/ unwanted, causing
marked anxiety or distress
Individuals often attempt to ignore or suppress/ neutralize these thoughts, urges, or images with some
other thought or action.
Compulsions - Answer: Repetitive behaviors that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an
obsession. Behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing/ reducing anxiety or distress.
Perinatal women are at a _____ greater risk for OCD onset than the general population. - Answer: 1.5-2X
___% had OCD onset in the perinatal period. - Answer: 32%
Severe OCD remains largely unchanged across___ - Answer: pregnancy and the postpartum period.
65% have co-morbid depression along with what? - Answer: Perinatal OCD
Ego-dystonic thoughts - Answer: Thoughts/ impulses/ behaviors that are distressing, unacceptable, or
inconsistent with one's self-concept.
Ego-syntonic - Answer: instincts or ideas that are acceptable to the self and are compatible with ones
way of thinking.
Questions and Complete Solutions
Graded A+
Perinatal Period - Answer: Conception through the first year after giving birth.
Antenatal - Answer: Term meaning "During Pregnancy"
Postpartum/Postnatal - Answer: The first year after giving birth
Disorders - Answer: Get in the way of daily functioning.
Every year, how many infants are born to mothers who are depressed? - Answer: 400,000, making
perinatal depression the most under diagnosed obstetric complication in America.
What is the prevalence of PMAD's for women? - Answer: 1 out of 5-7 women.
What is the prevalence of PMAD's for men? - Answer: 1 out of 10 men.
What is the cost of untreated PMAD's? - Answer: $14.2 Billion annually
How many pregnancies are unplanned? - Answer: ~50%
What are the PMAD etiologies (causes)? - Answer: Biological Sensitivity to hormonal changes (sleep
deprivation), Vulnerability (such as genetic disposition), psychological (relationship with own mother,
ambivalence to parenthood, self-image/perfectionism), Social/environmental (hx of trauma, poor social
support, institutional racism).
In what ways does culture influence whether PMAD's are recognized? - Answer: There are diverse ways
that mothers conceptualize and explain their symptoms culturally. They may not feel they are safe to
,express their symptoms. May be expressed in somatic (eg. stomach pains or appetite changes) or
affective ways (moods, feelings).
Why is there variability in prevalence rates of PMAD's? - Answer: Cultural context, screening inventories,
cutoffs used on objective measures, timing of screening and onset of symptoms, relationship between
the subject and the researcher.
What is the strongest predictor for paternal depression? - Answer: Maternal depression
When do father's depressive symptoms spike? - Answer: Between 3-6 months postpartum
What is "masked" male depression? - Answer: Rather than sadness- men may: increase substance use,
be more irritable/ aggressive/ hostile, may "check out", and self-isolate.
Possible factors for partner depression. - Answer: Feeling burdened/trapped, financial burdens, feeling
left out, missing sexual relationship, sleep deprivation, isolation and loneliness, poor social support
network.
Percentage of new mothers are universally affected by baby blues - Answer: 60-80%
Hormone fluctuation at the time of birth and acute sleep deprivation can lead to what common
situation or non-disorder? - Answer: baby blues
How long do the baby blues last? - Answer: 2 days to 2 weeks after birth
When do baby blues typically peak? - Answer: on day 3-5 after delivery.
What are the symptoms of baby blues? - Answer: tearfulness, lability, reactivity, and exhaustion.
Unrelated to stress or prior psychiatric hx.
When making a determination between baby blues and major depression, what should be considered? -
Answer: severity/intensity, timing/onset, duration/chronicity
,Under the DSM-5, what code can we use for postpartum depression? - Answer: Major Unipolar
Depression (with peripartum onset)
For the DSM-5 code of Major Unipolar Depression (with peripartum onset), 5 or more symptoms must
be present with the same 2-week period: - Answer: Depressed mood most of the day nearly every day.
Loss of interest, joy or pleasure (anhedonia).
Significant wt or appetite changes. Sleep disturbances.
Psychomotor agitation/retardation.
Fatigue/loss of energy.
Poor concentration/focus/indecisiveness.
Feelings of worthlessness.
Excessive/inappropriate guilt.
Recurrent thoughts of death/suicidal thoughts.
Signs of Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Answer: Excessive anxiety/worry.
Difficulty controlling one's worry.
Agitation/Irritability.
Restlessness + poor concentration.
Easily fatigues/sleep disturbances.
Increased somatic symptoms.
What is the prevalence for prenatal anxiety? - Answer: 15.8%
What is the prevalence for postpartum anxiety symptoms? - Answer: 8%-20%
Panic Disorder symptoms? - Answer: Episodes of intense fear or discomfort peaks within minutes.
SOB, chest pain, dizziness, choking feeling.
Hot/Cold flashes.
, Restlessness, rapid heartbeat, numbness/tingling sensations.
Excessive worry/fear.
Feeling as though "going crazy", losing control, or having a future attack.
Often no identifiable trigger.
What are the 3 greatest fears of a panic disorder? - Answer: Fear of dying
Fear of losing control
Fear of going crazy
Obsessions - Answer: Recurrent + persistent thoughts/ impulses that are intrusive/ unwanted, causing
marked anxiety or distress
Individuals often attempt to ignore or suppress/ neutralize these thoughts, urges, or images with some
other thought or action.
Compulsions - Answer: Repetitive behaviors that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an
obsession. Behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing/ reducing anxiety or distress.
Perinatal women are at a _____ greater risk for OCD onset than the general population. - Answer: 1.5-2X
___% had OCD onset in the perinatal period. - Answer: 32%
Severe OCD remains largely unchanged across___ - Answer: pregnancy and the postpartum period.
65% have co-morbid depression along with what? - Answer: Perinatal OCD
Ego-dystonic thoughts - Answer: Thoughts/ impulses/ behaviors that are distressing, unacceptable, or
inconsistent with one's self-concept.
Ego-syntonic - Answer: instincts or ideas that are acceptable to the self and are compatible with ones
way of thinking.
