Postpartum psychosis is a true psychiatric emergency. It is an uncommon disorder, but associated with a disproportionate risk for maternal suicide and infanticide – so it is urgent for all who come in contact with postpartum patients to be able to recognize this devastating condition. Women suffering from postpartum psychosis are often misdiagnosed with postpartum depression, which can lead to treatment choices that exacerbate rather than ameliorate the symptoms. Psychiatric pharmacists can help bridge this gap in perinatal mental health care by knowledge of evidence-based treatment protocols. In this presentation, participants will learn the most recent science about the causes of postpartum psychosis, and will also learn how to identify it and provide appropriate treatment.
Target Audience
If you are a pharmacist, nurse practitioner, or other health care professional involved in the comprehensive medication management of individuals living with mental health and/or substance use disorders, we invite you to participate in this online course.
Course Requirements
To receive ACPE credit for this session, you must:
- Register for this course.
- Review the full content of the activity and reflect upon its teachings.
- Complete the evaluation at the end of the activity.
- Provide the necessary details in your profile to ensure correct reporting by AAPP to CPE Monitor.
Faculty Information
View biographical information
Lauren M. Osborne, MD
Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Vice Chair for Clinical Research in OB-GYN
Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, NY
Lauren M. Osborne, MD, graduated from Weill Cornell Medical College and received her psychiatric training at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute. She completed both clinical and research fellowships in women's mental health, and is an expert on the diagnosis and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy, the postpartum, the premenstrual period, and perimenopause. Dr. Osborne is an Associate Professor of OB-GYN and of Psychiatry and serves as the Vice Chair of Clinical Research in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Her research on perinatal mental illness focuses on models of care and on biological mechanisms and biomarkers, with a focus on neurosteroids and the immune system, and she runs the PIPPI Lab – Psychoneuroimmunology in Pregnancy and Postpartum – at Weill Cornell. Dr. Osborne’s clinical work consists of collaborative care for perinatal mental health within OB/GYN. She is also the chair of the Education Committee for Marcé of North America; founder and chair of the National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry, a free web-based standardized curriculum; and an editor of The APA Textbook of Women’s Reproductive Mental Health. Her work has been supported by the Brain and Behavior Foundation, the Doris Duke Foundation, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the NIMH, and the NICHD.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss the etiology, prevalence, and risk factors for postpartum psychosis.
- Describe the clinical presentation of postpartum psychosis.
- Discuss appropriate management of postpartum psychosis.
Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures
Activity Dates: 04/28/2025 - 04/28/2028
ACPE Contact Hours: 1.25
ACPE Number: 0284-0000-25-006-H01-P (Knowledge)
Nursing Credit Reminder: Note that ACPE credit is accepted for ANCC Certification Renewal and AANPCB advanced practice provider content. For specific questions related to your organization's acceptance of ACPE continuing education units, please contact your organization directly.
The American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
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View disclaimer and disclosure of off-label use
Off-Label Use: This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA (see faculty information). The opinions expressed in the educational activity do not necessarily represent the views of AAPP and any educational partners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
Disclaimer: Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
View fair balance and integrity statement
It is the policy of AAPP to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in continuing education activities. Those involved in the development of this continuing education activity have made all reasonable efforts to ensure that information contained herein is accurate in accordance with the latest available scientific knowledge at the time of accreditation of this continuing education activity. Information regarding drugs (e.g., their administration, dosages, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, special warnings, and precautions) and drug delivery systems is subject to change, however, and the reader is advised to check the manufacturer’s package insert for information concerning recommended dosage and potential problems or cautions prior to dispensing or administering the drug or using the drug delivery systems.
Fair balance is achieved through ongoing and thorough review of all materials produced by faculty, and all educational and advertising materials produced by supporting organizations, prior to educational offerings. Approval of credit for this continuing education activity does not imply endorsement by AAPP for any product or manufacturer identified.