Reproductive Mental Health Services

The Reproductive Mental Health Clinic provides care to patients and their families who are dealing with mental health challenges and disorders before, during and up to eight months after pregnancy or birth.

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About
The services we deliver include: 
  • Assessing and providing care to people with mental health conditions who are pregnant or have given birth 
  • Providing pre-pregnancy consultation for people with psychiatric illness who are thinking about pregnancy and want advice about management of their illness before, during and after pregnancy and birth 
  • Providing a group educational session about premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) 
  • Providing individual, couples or group psychotherapy to eligible patients 

​Referral information 

Individuals must have a referral from their health care provider, such as their doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife, to access these services. Visit the Reproductive Mental Health referral web page for further information.

Appointment details
Your first appointment will be up to one hour and 30 minutes in length. Our clinic is family-friendly, so you are welcome to bring your infant. 

Please bring any medications that you are currently taking to your appointment. 

For in-person appointments: Allow yourself adequate time to find parking on our hospital campus. 

For online appointments: You must be physically located in BC or we will not be able to facilitate the appointment. If you are concerned that your mood, anxiety or ability to function are getting worse while you are waiting to be seen, your referring health care provider can call the clinic. 

During your visit 

At your first appointment, you will be seen by a psychiatrist, ideally in person or virtually if necessary. The psychiatrist will ask you many questions in order to understand what your main concerns are and how they can help you. These questions may include inquiries about:
  • Any previous mental health symptoms and/or diagnosis and any treatment you received 
  • Any family history of mental illness  
  • Your early childhood experiences 
We will treat all your information as confidential, and we will only share information with your referring provider and other health care providers you may choose. 

At the end of the appointment, you and the psychiatrist will discuss your situation and treatment options available to you, including psychological treatment and treatment with medications.  

You may be referred for a follow-up appointment with the psychiatrist or another member of the care team. These may be limited to one to four appointments, depending on your care needs. 

There may also be opportunities to participate in group therapy or attend educational sessions with other patients. 

Further information

Contact us 


This clinic delivers services from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Entrance 81, Healthy Minds Centre 
Room P1-228 
4500 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
V6H 3N1 

Phone: 604-875-2025
Fax: 604-875-3115 

Provider supports 

We offer telephone consultation for health care providers who want to discuss patient management, including medication use in pregnancy and breastfeeding.  

Clinicians including physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives can contact the Rapid Access to Consultative Expertise (RACE) team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

Phone: 604-696-2131 or 1 -877-696-2131 ​

Additional resources​

Explore the following resources to gain knowledge and discover the tools you need to support your mental health throughout your reproductive journey.

 

Postpartumcare.ca is an evidence-based website that provides new parents who are struggling with postpartum depression and/or postpartum anxiety symptoms with access to:

  • Educational materials on topics such as causes and diagnosis, and self-care
  • Stories from parent peers, and peer support
  • Links to BC-based resources
  • A mood and anxiety tracker

Visit www.postpartumcare.ca for more information. 

 

This website was co-developed based on research led by a dedicated team at the Women's Health Research Institute, and with insights from BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre (BCWH) clinical experts.  Learn more here.


 

The BC Reproductive Mental Health Program developed two self-care guides on: 

  1. Coping with Depression During Pregnancy and Following the Birth
  2. Coping with Anxiety During Pregnancy and Following the Birth 

These self-care guides are for both healthcare providers and people who may be experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy and after birth. The guides are meant to: 


  • Educate healthcare providers and people on signs and symptoms of anxiety or depression before and after birth 
  • Educate people and healthcare providers on the available treatment options 
  • Support the collaboration between people and healthcare providers on their own treatment and recovery, by using exercises and other lifestyle changes 

 

To learn more about different mental health disorders some may experience during the reproductive cycle including during pregnancy and after birth, visit the following links to watch the videos developed by BC Reproductive Mental Health.


This is Michelle's story of anxiety and depression, deciding to take antidepressants during pregnancy, and how the Reproductive Mental Health Program supported her to feel confident that she could be a great mother.

This is Ava's story of depression in pregnancy and postpartum as a member of the Chinese community, and how the Reproductive Mental Health Program and Mindfulness-Based Interventions supported her recovery.

The animated video below describes the personal journey women take in deciding whether or not to take antidepressant medication during pregnancy.  It was created in the hopes that others can understand the complexities of making such a decision, while facing internal and external pressures.  It was based on the research of Dr. Catriona Hippman.

 

The following Fact Sheets, produced by the BC Reproductive Mental Health Program, share information on different disorders including how they may present, possible treatment options, and resources.


Health care professionals can find further information and resources on the Reproductive Mental Health web page.

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