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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Perinatal Psychiatry: Mental Health During Pregnancy and the Postpartum
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Perinatal Psychiatry: Mental Health During Pregnancy and the Postpartum

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropsychiatry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2025 | Viewed by 262

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Saulo Gantes Tractenberg

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Health, Psychology Department, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos, 950. Bairro Cristo Rei São Leopoldo/RS CEP: 93.022-750, São Leopoldo 93022-000, Brazil
Interests: psychology; neuroscience; cognitive and experimental psychology; stress
Prof. Dr. Thiago Wendt Viola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Medicine, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre 90690-900, Brazil
Interests: psychology; early life stress; development; cognitive neuroscience
Dr. Tagma Marina Schneider Donelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
School of Health, Psychology Department, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos, 950. Bairro Cristo Rei São Leopoldo/RS CEP: 93.022-750, São Leopoldo 93022-000, Brazil
Interests: child; development; prenatal care; maternal health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Perinatal psychiatric disorders constitute a significant public health concern, affecting a substantial proportion of women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. These conditions, including perinatal depression, anxiety disorders, and postpartum psychosis, are among the most prevalent complications of childbirth, with far-reaching consequences for both maternal and infant health.

Emerging evidence underscores the multifactorial etiology of perinatal mental illness, encompassing neurobiological, hormonal, genetic, and psychosocial determinants. Despite increasing recognition of its impact, perinatal mental health remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, necessitating further research and clinical advancements.

This Special Issue aims to advance scientific understandings of perinatal psychiatric disorders by integrating current findings on their pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatment approaches. We invite contributions in the form of narrative and systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and original empirical studies that develop existing knowledge and inform clinical practice in this critical area of mental health.

Prof. Dr. Saulo Gantes Tractenberg
Prof. Dr. Thiago Wendt Viola
Guest Editors

Dr. Tagma Marina Schneider Donelli
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • perinatal
  • postpartum
  • mental health
  • pregnancy
  • postpartum depression
  • postpartum psychosis
  • psychiatric disorders
  • puerperal disorders
  • infant
  • perinatal care

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 300 KB  
Article
Effectiveness of Telepsychotherapy Versus Face-to-Face Psychological Intervention for Perinatal Anxiety and Depressive Symptomatology During COVID-19: The Case of an Italian Perinatal Psychological Care Service
by Beatrice Allegri, Giacomo Deste, Valeria Brenna, Emanuela Saveria Gritti, Linda Confalonieri, Alessandra Puzzini, Irene Corbani, Andrea Zucchetti, Umberto Mazza, Tamara Rabà, Mauro Percudani, Stefano Barlati and Antonio Vita
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(9), 963; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15090963 - 4 Sep 2025
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 has limited pregnant and postpartum women’s access to mental health services, leading to the introduction of online interventions. Objectives: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of telepsychotherapy (i.e., psychotherapy provided through digital technology supporting real-time interactivity in the audio or [...] Read more.
Background: COVID-19 has limited pregnant and postpartum women’s access to mental health services, leading to the introduction of online interventions. Objectives: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of telepsychotherapy (i.e., psychotherapy provided through digital technology supporting real-time interactivity in the audio or audiovisual modality) with the one yielded by face-to-face interventions in treating perinatal depression and anxiety and to assess the therapist’s perceived alliance in both interventions. Methods: We collected anamnestic information and obstetrical risk factors for 61 women. We evaluated the effectiveness of face-to-face (N = 31) vs. telepsychotherapy (N = 30) interventions on depressive and anxiety symptoms at baseline (T0) and the end of treatment (T1) using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y 1 and 2). We assessed the degree of alliance perceived by therapists with the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI-T). Results: Both groups showed significant decreases in depressive (EPDS face-to-face: T0 12.65 ± 5.81, T1 5.77 ± 4.63, p < 0.001; EPDS remote: T0 11.93 ± 5.24, T1 5.70 ± 4.46, p < 0.001; effect size: 0.002) and state anxiety (STAI-Y 1 face-to-face: T0 51.19 ± 13.73, T1 40.23 ± 12.86, p < 0.001; STAI-Y 1 remote: T0 51.10 ± 11.29, T1 38.00 ± 10.90, p < 0.001; effect size: 0.007//STAI-Y 2 face-to-face: T0 43.13 ± 12.11, T1 41.03 ± 13.06, p = 0.302; STAI-Y 2 remote: T0 44.20 ± 8.70, T1 39.30 ± 9.58, p = 0.003; effect size: <0.001) symptoms by the end of treatment. Women treated remotely also experienced a significant reduction in trait anxiety at T1 (p = 0.003). We found no significant differences in either symptomatology (EPDS; STAI-Y) between the two interventions at baseline or in the therapist-perceived alliance. Conclusions: Synchronous telepsychotherapy for perinatal depression and anxiety showed comparable treatment response to face-to-face interventions, with both modalities associated with significant symptom reduction and the establishment of a working alliance. These findings support the potential of telepsychotherapy as a valuable alternative when in-person services are not accessible, especially during emergency contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perinatal Psychiatry: Mental Health During Pregnancy and the Postpartum)
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