In recognition of March being Women’s History Month, we want to highlight the breadth of topics and recognize the passionate leaders shaping women’s mental health and reproductive psychiatry at the upcoming 2026 APA Annual Meeting, May 16-20 in San Francisco. This year, the Alexandra Symonds Award session honors one leader in particular, Dr. Nancy Byatt, D.O., who will present “The Light Within Our Wounds: How Lived Expertise, Partnerships, and Science can be Levers for Improving Perinatal Mental Health Care.” This award, established in 1997 in memory of Alexandra Symonds, M.D., an APA Fellow and co-founder of the Association of Women Psychiatrists, recognizes and honors a psychiatrist who has made significant contributions to promoting women’s health and the advancement of women.

Integrating Care Across the Perinatal Period

Several sessions address the fragmentation of perinatal mental healthcare across specialties and highlight opportunities to better integrate systems. Bridging the Divide (0830 5/16; Givrad, Richards, Londono Tobon) both examines how the division between adult and child psychiatry treatment settings undermines family-centered care and also outlines dyadic interventions and systems-level solutions for integrated perinatal-infant services. The Alexandra Symonds Award session (1030 5/17; Byatt) and Advancements in Perinatal Mental Health Care (1545 5/18; Chu, Byatt, Huybrechts, Sharkey) explore barriers and opportunities to healthcare-community partnerships, collaborative care, and consultation models, such as the Perinatal Psychiatry Access Program Model, that expand psychiatric capacity in obstetric and primary care settings. How to Support the Parent-Infant Dyad through Trauma-Responsive Psychiatric Care (0830 5/20; Eastin, Byatt, Foray, Nagle-Yang) highlights strategies to mitigate discrimination, collaborate across specialties, and support families affected by perinatal mental health conditions or substance use disorders.

Clinical Expertise Across Reproductive Life Stages

From the menstrual cycle to menopause, multiple sessions provide practical, evidence-based guidance for treatment recommendations across reproductive transitions. Reproductive Psychiatry Made Practical (0830 5/17; Nagle-Yang, Givrad, Unverferth, Beal, Howard) reviews premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), premenstrual exacerbation (PME), perimenopause, menopause, and suicide risk assessment in the peripartum. Management of Severe Mental Illness During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period (0830 5/18; Koire, Hennen, Suleiman, Bergink) focuses on bipolar disorder management during pregnancy and postpartum, nuanced risk/benefit treatment analyses, and relapse prevention plans. Decoding “Pregnancy Brain” (1545 5/18; Cirino, Howard, Colah, De Faria) unpacks the relationship between neuroendocrine shifts and presentations of OCD, PTSD, ADHD, and Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex in the peripartum. Navigating Misconceptions around the Use of Psychotropics in Pregnancy (0830 5/19; Kumar-Kaparaboyna, Byatt, Becker, Nallone) addresses common misconceptions of psychotropic use during pregnancy and strengthens shared decision-making skills.

Presentations of Trauma

Other sessions explore the influence of traumatic experiences on mental health. Childbirth-Related PTSD (0830 5/17; Koire, Klarich) reviews childbirth-related PTSD as well as validated screening tools and evidence-based treatment recommendations. Before a Breath (1330 5/18; Adam, Newsome, Frank, De Faria) explores the psychological aftermath of stillbirth and the impact of racial and ethnic disparities that lead to higher risks of stillbirth in their management of mental illness following a stillbirth. Migraine Mental Health and Military Women (0830 5/19; Thiam, Evan, Kurzkurt) examines the relationship between headache disorders, trauma, and reproductive risk.

Clinical and Systems Innovations

Bridging Care (1545 5/16; Foray, Yonkers, Byatt, Davidowicz) compares two models for embedding opioid use disorder treatment into prenatal clinics through an exploration of clinician and patient perspectives. Empowering Choice: Reproductive Justice in Psychiatric Care (0830 5/17; Nykiel, Balasanova, Agarwal) applies harm reduction and trauma-informed principles to sexual and reproductive care, while challenging stigmatizing policies and advancing informed consent. Expanding Access to Women’s Mental Health Services (0830 5/18; Goodsmith, Berry, Hurd, Knapp) highlights urban IPV-integrated services, rural engagement strategies, and VA educational initiatives to showcase state- and system-level innovations aimed at reducing disparities. These sessions underscore how collaboration and policy change can address persistent care gaps.

Leadership, Identity, and Professional Flourishing

Women’s leadership and career development are central session themes. Beyond Parental Leave (1330 5/16; Frank, Stotland, Lodhi, Islam) reflects on the benefits and drawbacks of parenting at different career stages while examining institutional policies, supports, and gaps. Cultivating Female Leaders (1545 5/16; Castilla Puentes, Alexander, Sanchez-Lopez, Falcone, Lachhwani), Beyond the Glass Ceiling (0830 5/17; De Faria, Chaudron, Payne, St. Victor, Carter) and Flourishing as a Woman Physician Leader (1330 5/19; Costakis, Drits, Bernstein, Almeida, Aggarwal) analyze structural barriers, mentorship and sponsorship models, and practical strategies to advance gender equity and leadership. Carving Meaningful, Fulfilling Career Paths (0830 5/17; Bhatia, Bernstein, Aggarwal, Gise, Benders-Hadi), the Association of Women Psychiatrists Presidential Session, provides panel guidance on aligning strengths with leadership roles while sustaining well-being.

All of these sessions, spearheaded by leaders in the field, include members of the APA Council on Women’s Mental Health and the APA Women’s Caucus and will educate and inspire attendees to advance equitable, evidence-based care across the reproductive life cycle.

For a table view of all the sessions mentioned above, click on the button below.

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Content Authors

Carissa Klarich, M.D.
Member of the APA Council on Women’s Mental Health

Amanda Koire, M.D. Ph.D.
Member of the APA Council on Women’s Mental Health