From the Guest Editors

This issue of FOCUS contains new developments from the field of women's mental health. A particular challenge for psychiatric practitioners is the assessment and management of psychiatric disorders in women across the reproductive life cycle, including pregnancy, postpartum, and the menopausal transition. In addition, primary care providers and obstetrician/gynecologists often turn to psychiatrists for consultation regarding diagnosis and which treatment approaches are most efficacious and safe for women during these life stages.

The original articles in this issue provide state-of-the-art updates on the epidemiology and management of reproductive mood disorders. Gail Erlick Robinson has contributed an overview of psychopharmacology in pregnancy and postpartum. Rita Suri and Lori Altshuler discuss advances in the recognition and treatment of postpartum depression. Luciano Minuzzi, Benicio Frey, and Claudio Soares review current management strategies for depression during the menopausal transition. The FOCUS regular features, Patient Management exercise by Ian Cook and the Ask the Expert column by Karen Padron and Jeffrey Newport, provide a clinical situation and discussion. Finally, Mytilee Vemuri and Laura Weiss Roberts examine ethical considerations in treating women with mental illness during pregnancy.

In addition to these original articles, we also provide reprints and abstracts of relevant articles in the field, allowing practitioners to gain additional understanding of these important topics. We sincerely hope that the information contained in this issue will equip practitioners with the knowledge and skills that they need to provide the best care possible to their women patients across the lifespan.