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Evaluation ViewAttendees 5

Women's Issues
Symposia

Symposium 48 - Symptoms that Disproportionately Affect Women and Innovative Approaches to their Treatment

Friday, November 15, 2024
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EST
Location: Regency B, Second Floor Mezzanine, Loews Hotel
CE: 1.5

Keywords: Women's Health, Eating, Perinatal
Recommended Readings: Griffen, A., McIntyre, L., Belsito, J. Z., Burkhard, J., Davis, W., Kimmel, M., ... & Meltzer-Brody, S. (2021). Perinatal Mental Health Care In The United States: An Overview Of Policies And Programs: Study examines perinatal mental health care policies and programs in the United States. Health Affairs, 40(10), 1543-1550.,  

Dube, L., Bright, K., Hayden, K. A., & Gordon, J. L. (2023). Efficacy of psychological interventions for mental health and pregnancy rates among individuals with infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Human Reproduction Update, 29(1), 71-94.

,   Brown, T. A., Forney, K. J., Klein, K. M., Grillot, C., & Keel, P. K. (2020). A 30-year longitudinal study of body weight, dieting, and eating pathology across women and men from late adolescence to later midlife. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129(4), 376.,   ,  

One in 5 women experience a mental health condition each year. Poor mental health among women has a high cost to society, in the form of increased health care utilization, decreased participation in the work force, and child developmental problems (Duggan, 2016). Importantly, there is also evidence that supporting women’s mental health yields wide-ranging benefits. In 2023, global leaders at the World Economic Forum stated, “Investment in women is unrivaled in its return on the investment for the health of all society. An estimated $300 million investment into research focused on women could yield a $13 billion economic return” (World Economic Forum, 2023). Nonetheless, women’s mental health needs remain understudied, and interventions remain limited in their efficacy and uptake.
There are several life cycle events—including puberty, adolescence, and motherhood—marked by biological and social changes that are unique to women and pose challenges to well-being (i.e., changes in body size or shape, hormones, relationships) (Blehar, 2006). For example, puberty is associated with increased risk for eating disorders (EDs); and the prevalence of EDs is up to five times higher in females than in males (Culbert et al., 2015; Klump, 2013). EDs are associated with psychosocial impairment and high morbidity and mortality, but most women with EDs never receive treatment (Fitzsimmons-Craft et al., 2019). As another example, the perinatal period is associated with increased risk for depressive, obsessive-compulsive, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (Fairbrother et al., 2021; Howard et al., 2014), the consequences of which are far-reaching. Women with these symptoms report psychosocial impairment; and their children are at risk for developmental, socioemotional, and behavior problems (Slomian et al., 2019). Even so, there are significant barriers to accessing psychological services during the perinatal period, including time restraints, lack of childcare, and fear of losing child custody (Ayres et al., 2019; Howard & Khalifeh, 2020).
Women are more vulnerable to psychological problems during transitional periods, and interventions remain limited in their efficacy and uptake. In line with the convention’s themes of community engagement, advocacy, and innovation, the papers in this symposium highlight symptoms that disproportionately affect women and novel approaches to treating them. The approaches discussed are innovative in their targets and delivery, and they are being developed with engagement of key stakeholders. Topics include the nature and course of obsessive-compulsive and trauma symptoms during the perinatal period; the impact of maternal mood symptoms on parent-child interactions; and novel approaches to treat infertility-related distress and EDs during adolescence and pregnancy. In these papers, the authors conceptualize why certain interventions might be well-suited for women’s needs, and they use a range of methodologies to examine symptoms and interventions. By better understanding women’s mental health needs and prioritizing accessible interventions, societies can invest in women to create healthier, more resilient communities.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Identify 3 symptom clusters that disproportionately or uniquely affect women.
  2. Describe the relationship between mental health symptoms and life cycle stages including adolescence, young adulthood and reproduction.
  3. Summarize findings related to temporal patterns of symptoms or the impact of maternal depression on mother-child interactions.
  4. Identify at least 2 ways in which the interventions described are well-matched to women's needs or overcome limitations of existing strategies.
  5. Outline the impact of implementing accessible and well-suited interventions, not only for women but also for families and society.

Presentations:

  • 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EST
    (SYM 48) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Infertility Patients

    Speaker: Francesca Scheiber, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Duke University School of Medicine

    Co-author: Julia Woodward, Ph.D. – Duke University

    Co-author: Ashley Moskovich, Ph.D. – Duke University Medical Center

    Co-author: Rhonda Merwin, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Duke University School of Medicine

  • 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EST
    (SYM 48) Feasibility and Acceptability of a Single-session, Acceptance-based Online Intervention Targeting Food Cravings as Predictors of Binge and Loss of Control Eating in Pregnancy

    Speaker: Julia M. Hormes, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University at Albany, State University of New York

    Co-author: C.Alix Timko, PhD – Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  • 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EST
    (SYM 48) Exploring Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Obsessive-compulsive Stress Disorder Symptoms Across the Perinatal Period: A Panel Network Analysis

    Speaker: Ti Hsu, M.S. (she/her/hers) – The University of Iowa

    Co-author: Michelle Miller, Ph.D. – Indiana University School of Medicine

    Co-author: Kristian Markon, Ph.D. – University of Minnesota

    Co-author: Rebecca Grekin, Ph.D. – University of Iowa

    Co-author: Emily Thomas, Ph.D. – University of Iowa

  • 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EST
    (SYM 48) Maternal Depression Is Negatively Correlated with Infant Social Referencing Patterns During Play: A Dyadic Head-mounted Eye Tracking Study

    Speaker: Sarah K. Markert, M.A. (she/her/hers) – Duke University

    Co-author: Michael S. Gaffrey, Ph.D. – Duke University

  • 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EST
    (SYM 48) The Impact of Telehealth on Working Alliance, Treatment Credibility, and Treatment Fidelity in Family Based Treatment for Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa

    Speaker: C.Alix Timko, PhD – Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

    Co-author: Marita Cooper, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

    Co-author: Chloe Connor, BS (she/her/hers) – National Institute of Health

    Co-author: Natalia Orloff, PhD (she/her/hers) – Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

    Co-author: Brooke Singer, Psy.D. – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

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