Psychiatric Disorders

Understanding Maternal Disease In Pregnancy: A Clinical Perspective, AYKAN YÜCEL, Editör, Turkiye Klinikleri, Ankara, ss.209-220, 2026

Contrary to previous assumptions that pregnancy protects against psychiatric disorders, current research

indicates that mental illnesses may not only persist but also develop or exacerbate during pregnancy.

Physiological, hormonal, and immunological alterations during pregnancy may induce psychiatric

symptoms, frequently underreported by patients or misinterpreted and neglected by healthcare

professionals. Changes in sex hormones, neurotransmitter function, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal

axis, and immune regulation may all contribute to the emergence or worsening of psychiatric symptoms.

The unaddressed mental health needs during pregnancy pose significant risks to both maternal and

fetal health. This includes a higher risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, fetal growth restriction, and

congenital anomalies. Maternal complications including prolonged labor, preeclampsia, operative delivery,

and suicide have been reported. Furthermore, psychiatric disorders during gestation can impair

maternal functioning and adversely affect infant neurodevelopment and emotional regulation.

Various psychosocial and medical risk factors increase the risk of psychiatric morbidity during pregnancy.

These comprise prior mental health diagnoses, childhood trauma, intimate partner violence,

poor social support, low socioeconomic status, adolescent pregnancy, and chronic medical conditions.

Furthermore, psychosomatic symptoms prevalent during pregnancy, including fatigue, nausea, and

sleep disturbances, may obscure or imitate psychiatric symptoms, which causes underdiagnosis.

The management of psychiatric disorders during pregnancy requires personalized, evidence-based, and

multidisciplinary strategies. The risks of untreated psychiatric disorders should be weighed in relation

to the potential impacts of psychotropic medication on both the mother and fetus. Informed consent,

interdisciplinary collaboration, and continuous monitoring are essential to improve maternal and fetal

outcomes