Canadian network for mood and anxiety treatments 2024 clinical practice guideline for the management of perinatal mood, anxiety and related disorders
Date
2025
Authors
Vigod, Simone N.
Frey, Benicio
Clark, Crystal T.
Grigoriadis, Sophie
Barker, Lucy C.
Brown, Hilary K.
Charlebois, Jaime
Dennis, Cindy Lee
Fairbrother, Nichole
Green, Sheryl
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
Abstract
Background
The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) publishes clinical practice guidelines for mood and anxiety disorders. This CANMAT guideline aims to provide comprehensive clinical guidance for the pregnancy and postpartum (perinatal) management of mood, anxiety and related disorders.
Methods
CANMAT convened a core editorial group of interdisciplinary academic clinicians and persons with lived experience (PWLE), and 3 advisory panels of PWLE and perinatal health and perinatal mental health clinicians. We searched for systematic reviews of prevention and treatment interventions for perinatal depressive, bipolar, anxiety, obsessive–compulsive and post-traumatic stress disorders (January 2013–October 2023). We prioritized evidence from reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), except for the perinatal safety of medications where reviews of large high-quality observational studies were prioritized due to the absence of RCT data. Targeted searches for individual studies were conducted when systematic reviews were limited or absent. Recommendations were organized by lines of treatment based on CANMAT-defined levels of evidence quality, supplemented by editorial group consensus to balance efficacy, safety, tolerability and feasibility considerations.
Results
The guideline covers 10 clinical sections in a question-and-answer format that maps onto the patient care journey: case identification; organization and delivery of care; non-pharmacological (lifestyle, psychosocial, psychological), pharmacological, neuromodulation and complementary and alternative medicine interventions; high-risk clinical situations; and mental health of the father or co-parent. Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations are provided.
Conclusions
This guideline's detailed evidence-based recommendations provide clinicians with key information to promote the delivery of effective and safe perinatal mental healthcare. It is hoped that the guideline will serve as a valuable tool for clinicians in Canada and around the world to help optimize clinical outcomes in the area of perinatal mental health.
Description
Keywords
clinical practice guidelines, depression, postpartum depression, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, perinatal, postpartum psychosis, pregnancy, postpartum period, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Aspiration Research Cluster
Citation
Vigod, S. N., Frey, B. N., Clark, C. T., Grigoriadis, S., Barker, L. C., Brown, H. K., Charlebois, J., Dennis, C., Fairbrother, N., Green, S. M., Letourneau, N. L., Oberlander, T. F., Sharma, V., Singla, D. R., Stewart, D. E., Tomasi, P., Ellington, B. D., Fleury, C., Tarasoff, L. A., . . . Van Lieshout, R. J. (2025). Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Perinatal Mood, Anxiety, and Related Disorders: Guide de pratique 2024 du Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments pour le traitement des troubles de l’humeur, des troubles anxieux et des troubles connexes périnatals. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 70(6), 429–489. https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437241303031