Depression affects women about twice as often as men. In fact, one in five women will face a case of clinical depression in her lifetime. But more than half will never seek treatment.
Other mental health conditions — such as anxiety and bipolar disorders — also affect women in profound ways throughout their lives.
Genetics and hormone changes can increase a woman's risk for certain behavioral health conditions. For instance, pregnancy and the postpartum period can be a vulnerable time for women. Many suffer depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or symptoms of OCD.
It can be hard to know if you need help. It can also be a challenge to find someone who has the right skills and expertise. You need someone to help define the problem and form a treatment plan that works for you.
Partnering with UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, UPMC Magee-Womens Behavioral Health Services can do just that.
About Behavioral Health Care for Women
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital works with UPMC Western to offer services for women of all ages.
We've designed mental health services to meet the unique needs of women throughout their lifespan, including during and after pregnancy.
Our staff members are experts at assessing and meeting the needs of women and their families. We know how hard it is to seek help for mental health problems.
We work with ob-gyns, social workers, and family members to educate, support, and treat women.
Our Services
What Mental Health Conditions Do We Treat?
We treat any behavioral health problem a woman may have in her lifetime. This includes issues linked to conception, pregnancy, and the postpartum period.
Common conditions we treat include:
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).
- Postpartum intrusive thoughts.
- Pregnancy- and postpartum-related psychosis.
- Bipolar disorder.
- Severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia.
- Trauma from past events or labor and delivery.
- Perinatal loss and grief.
- Substance use disorders.
- Eating disorders.
What We Offer
Together, UPMC Magee and UPMC Western offer:
- Pre-conception assessment and counseling. This can help women who want to start a family but have concerns about their mental health.
- Psychiatric assessments. We do assessments in both outpatient and inpatient settings, as well as in the emergency department.
- Help with medication management during and after pregnancy. Our experts can review your medicines and create a plan for during and after your pregnancy.
- Counseling and psychotherapy. We offer standard one-on-one talk therapy in person and via telemedicine. We also offer a special outpatient treatment program for new and expectant mothers.
- Team support in the NICU. Our neonatal doctors, APPs, nurses, development specialists, and social workers work together to provide an extensive array of services that support families.
- Screening for perinatal depression and anxiety. We screen women for mental health at each appointment with their obstetrician.
- Brexanolone infusion treatment for postpartum depression. Contact your doctor about a referral or email brexanolone@upmc.edu.
- Mother-baby intensive outpatient program (NEST IOP). Women who are pregnant or up to 12 months postpartum receive about 9 hours of intensive outpatient treatment. NEST-IOP helps you handle depression and anxiety around childbearing.
Why Choose UPMC Magee for Mental Health Care?
Women and their families can count on UPMC Magee for complete mental health care.
Here's what our patients say about what makes our program stand out.
- We make it easy to access care. Mental health care can feel like a confusing web of services. We offer easy access points for women to get the behavioral health care they need.
- We offer a spectrum of services. You can get treatment for anxiety or depression right in your OB's office. We also provide consults, help manage medications, and offer mother and baby programs.
- We provide cohesion. From screenings to referrals to visits, every provider you see has access to your medical record, and is aware of your medical history.
