Ethical and Clinical Dilemmas in Using Psychotropic Medications During Pregnancy

Abstract

Approximately 15 percent of women experience depression whilepregnant or in the year following pregnancy. While antidepressants areusually effective and considered standard treatment for depression,concerns arise that what might be good for mom could be harmful forthe baby. Medical evidence demonstrates that, on balance, treatingmental illness with psychotropic medication along with talk therapy is inthe best interest of both mother and baby; however, women may resisttreatment because they overestimate the risks of medication andunderestimate the risks of untreated mental illness. Clinicians can helpaddress this perceived ethical dilemma and provide optimum care to theirpregnant patients by collaborating with their patients on a treatmentplan, informing them about the risks of untreated mental illness, andproviding reassurance that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)and many other psychotropic medications are appropriate care even if awoman is pregnant or breastfeeding.