PMH-C FINAL SCRIPT 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉What percentage of women with bipolar disorder who go off
medication during pregnancy will have a bipolar relapse before the
end of pregnancy? Answer: 85%
◉What is the difference between Bipolar I and Bipolar II disorders?
Answer: Bipolar I has manic episodes; Bipolar II has hypomanic
episodes and longer, more severe episodes of depression
◉What are the symptoms of mania/hypomania (or the "highs" of
bipolar disorder)? Answer: - increased physical and mental activity
and energy
- heightened mood, exaggerated optimism and confidence
- excessive irritability, aggressive behavior
- decreased need for sleep without experiencing fatigue
- racing speech, thoughts, flight of ideas
- impulsiveness, poor judgment, distractibility
- reckless behavior
- grandiosity
,- in the most severe cases, psychotic features
◉What are the "lows" of bipolar disorder? Answer: - prolonged
sadness of crying
- significant changes in appetite
- changes in sleep
- irritability, anger, worry, agitation, and anxiety
- pessimism, indifference
- loss of energy, lethargy
- feelings of guilt, worthlessness,
- concentration issues, indecisiveness
- inability to take pleasure in interests
- social withdrawal
- unexplained aches and paines
- recurring thoughts of death/suicide
◉What percentage of people with bipolar disorder are
misdiagnosed with unipolar depression? Answer: Over 60%, and
over 35% have suffered for 10+ years with an incorrect diagnosis
◉What would someone with perinatal bipolar disorder have
experienced in their history? Answer: - treatment resistant
depression
,- poor response to antidepressants (initial positive response that
fades, medication induced mood elevation symptoms)
- mood swings
- PMDD
- hypomanic episodes for 1-6 days
- might not cause functional impairment
◉When is the typical onset of postpartum psychosis? Answer: The
first two weeks postpartum, although it can manifest later
◉Postpartum psychosis occurs for what percentage of women with
known bipolar disorder? Answer: 20-30%
◉What are symptoms of postpartum psychosis (PPP)? Answer: -
delusions
- hallucinations
- insomnia
- confusion/disorientation
- rapid mood swings
- waxing and waning
◉What are the differences between OCD and psychosis? Answer:
OCD (low risk) is characterized by mother NOT wanting to harm the
, baby, extreme anxiety related to ego-dystonic thoughts, mother has
taken steps to protect the baby, absence of psychotic features;
PSYCHOSIS (high risk) is characterized by delusional beliefs, ego-
syntonic thoughts (mother believes them to be reasonable or
tempted to act on them), less anxiety associated with thoughts,
labile mood, impulsive behavior, history of violence
◉What are contributing factors for PMHDs? Answer: - childbearing
and infant complications (pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding)
- age-related stressors (adolescence or perimenopause)
- climate stressors (seasonal depression)
- perfectionism and high expectations
◉What are risk factors for developing postpartum psychosis?
Answer: - pre-existing bipolar disorder
- family hx of PPP
- change of recurrence higher if it was mania, if it happened more
than once
◉When is the typical onset for perinatal psychosis? Answer: Within
the first 2 weeks after birth
◉What are NOT risk factors for PMHDs? Answer: - ethnicity
- level of education
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉What percentage of women with bipolar disorder who go off
medication during pregnancy will have a bipolar relapse before the
end of pregnancy? Answer: 85%
◉What is the difference between Bipolar I and Bipolar II disorders?
Answer: Bipolar I has manic episodes; Bipolar II has hypomanic
episodes and longer, more severe episodes of depression
◉What are the symptoms of mania/hypomania (or the "highs" of
bipolar disorder)? Answer: - increased physical and mental activity
and energy
- heightened mood, exaggerated optimism and confidence
- excessive irritability, aggressive behavior
- decreased need for sleep without experiencing fatigue
- racing speech, thoughts, flight of ideas
- impulsiveness, poor judgment, distractibility
- reckless behavior
- grandiosity
,- in the most severe cases, psychotic features
◉What are the "lows" of bipolar disorder? Answer: - prolonged
sadness of crying
- significant changes in appetite
- changes in sleep
- irritability, anger, worry, agitation, and anxiety
- pessimism, indifference
- loss of energy, lethargy
- feelings of guilt, worthlessness,
- concentration issues, indecisiveness
- inability to take pleasure in interests
- social withdrawal
- unexplained aches and paines
- recurring thoughts of death/suicide
◉What percentage of people with bipolar disorder are
misdiagnosed with unipolar depression? Answer: Over 60%, and
over 35% have suffered for 10+ years with an incorrect diagnosis
◉What would someone with perinatal bipolar disorder have
experienced in their history? Answer: - treatment resistant
depression
,- poor response to antidepressants (initial positive response that
fades, medication induced mood elevation symptoms)
- mood swings
- PMDD
- hypomanic episodes for 1-6 days
- might not cause functional impairment
◉When is the typical onset of postpartum psychosis? Answer: The
first two weeks postpartum, although it can manifest later
◉Postpartum psychosis occurs for what percentage of women with
known bipolar disorder? Answer: 20-30%
◉What are symptoms of postpartum psychosis (PPP)? Answer: -
delusions
- hallucinations
- insomnia
- confusion/disorientation
- rapid mood swings
- waxing and waning
◉What are the differences between OCD and psychosis? Answer:
OCD (low risk) is characterized by mother NOT wanting to harm the
, baby, extreme anxiety related to ego-dystonic thoughts, mother has
taken steps to protect the baby, absence of psychotic features;
PSYCHOSIS (high risk) is characterized by delusional beliefs, ego-
syntonic thoughts (mother believes them to be reasonable or
tempted to act on them), less anxiety associated with thoughts,
labile mood, impulsive behavior, history of violence
◉What are contributing factors for PMHDs? Answer: - childbearing
and infant complications (pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding)
- age-related stressors (adolescence or perimenopause)
- climate stressors (seasonal depression)
- perfectionism and high expectations
◉What are risk factors for developing postpartum psychosis?
Answer: - pre-existing bipolar disorder
- family hx of PPP
- change of recurrence higher if it was mania, if it happened more
than once
◉When is the typical onset for perinatal psychosis? Answer: Within
the first 2 weeks after birth
◉What are NOT risk factors for PMHDs? Answer: - ethnicity
- level of education
