Just like regular medical checkups, vitamins, and ultrasounds are important parts of any woman’s healthy pregnancy regimen, so is mental health.
“Mental health is a fundamental component of medicine,” says Dr. Ryan Darvish, a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist (OB/GYN) who has worked in Clínica Romero since 2023. “The mental health needs to be ideally treated and accounted for before pregnancy or at the beginning to allow for safe motherhood.”
“It’s like any other medical issue,” Dr. Darvish adds. “If you have an infection, you treat it. If you have maternal mental health issues, they should be treated as well.”
Pregnancy, a stage already rife with hormonal, medical, and emotional changes can worsen a mother’s anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or bipolar disorder, he notes.
So, a good control of any pre-existing mental health conditions can help improve her overall health and that of the baby.
“A healthy mother results in a healthy pregnancy,” he says.
MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS
May is recognized as Maternal Health Awareness Month, but Dr. Darvish makes it a point to include mental health screenings as part of his regular examinations for expectant mothers throughout the year.
“If a mom’s mental health is not treated, there is an increased chance for complications during the pregnancy,” he explains.
For example, she may miss important appointments if there is substance use disorder or is too depressed. Or If multiple people have a mental health condition in the family, the fetus may have that condition as well.
Therefore, he brings mental health issues whenever he sees any expectant mother, not only to discover if there are any issues present, but to normalize this often-stigmatized subject.
Dr. Darvish asks if there’s a history of mental issues in the family, if the woman is undergoing any treatments, requires therapy, or needs to see a psychiatrist?
“One out of every five women experiences mental health issues,” he notes.
This simple evaluation, “opens the door and allows the patient to fill me in if there are any issues that need to be addressed.”
“If there’s a history of mental health issues, we screen in every visit to see if there is any change so we can get on top of it as soon as possible,” he adds.
If there is no such history, they screen every trimester.
POST DELIVERY
Mental health is also paramount after the baby is born.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 8 women experiences postpartum depression, which can occur at any point during the first year after giving birth.
“It can happen to anyone,” says Dr. Darvish, including new mothers and those who’ve had babies before.
The risk of developing postpartum depression is higher (50% to 70%) in those who have experienced depression before, so they are monitored more closely.
While “postpartum blues”, a general feeling of lower moods, is natural for most women, postpartum depression is a condition marked by appetite changes, sleep disturbances, instability to sleep, oversleeping, loss of interest in things that they typically like to do, guilt, inability to concentrate, irritation or agitation, and the most dangerous, hurting themselves or somebody else.
“If you ever have thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else, get evaluated immediately in an emergency room,” Dr. Darvish stresses.
Screening for postpartum depression is done at two weeks and six weeks after giving birth. Women who are deemed positive are checked at shorter intervals.
Dr. Darvish notes that “this is a treatable condition, and it is common and deserves attention and we shouldn’t ignore it.”
And most importantly, “it won’t get better with time.”
Postpartum depression can last for extended periods and requires treatment or medication or some combination of both.
IN-HOUSE SERVICES FOR EVERY NEED
Should there be any mental health issues before of after giving birth, Dr. Darvish has a multi-disciplinary team of therapists, psychiatrists, social workers – ready to assist the patient.
Most of the Clínica Romero sites spread across Los Angeles includes primary care, pediatrics, behavior and mental health, as well as social services, all in the same facility.
That makes it a lot easier to refer patients with other clinicians or services they may require.
Clínica Romero also offers telehealth appointments that facilitates access to care for those with busy schedules, as well as rides to and from the clinics for those who lack transportation.
“We’re eliminating multiple barriers that they may have so they can receive the care that they need,” Dr. Darvish notes.
This is part of the reason why this Los Angeles native decided to join Clínica Romero two years ago.
Passionate about improving women’s health and wellbeing, he embraces the opportunity to help women of all ages – from adolescents to seniors.
“I always loved medicine, and I knew from a young age that’s what I wanted to do,” he says. “I enjoy helping people and as an OBGYN (Obstetrician-Gynecologist) you get to take care of patients of all ages. You get to take care of pregnancies, one of the states in life that no one takes care of in all of medicine. You can do ultrasound, surgery.
“One field has so many things that you can do and so many different patients you can see throughout their lifetimes.”
He includes the topic of mental health in his approach and with all of his patients, he says, not only to know them better and assist them if they need it, but to remind them that this happens to anyone and they should not be ashamed of it.
“We all need to work to stop the stigma and keep in mind that mental health struggles are not a sign of weakness,” Dr. Darvish says. “They’re common and they’re treatable, and they deserve attention.”
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! CALL NOW!
Clinica Romero’s Subsance Use Disorder Department
(323) 987-1034
