The Mental Health Education Series is an series of mental health events for GPs with the dual purpose of keeping GPs informed about changes in the Tasmanian mental healthcare landscape, alongside providing interesting and relevant clinical education delivered by local mental health clinicians. These events will provide an opportunity for GPs to have cross-disciplinary dialogue
The first in the series will include an overview of the current state and federal mental health reforms with relevance to general practice and a clinical update on perinatal mental health from Dr Steph Lorimer.
Dr Lorimer is a consultation-liaison psychiatrist within the Tasmanian Health Service (THS). Dr Lorimer is currently working as consultant psychiatrist in the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) team, which is part of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) within the THS.
Dr Lorimer will present on mental illness in the perinatal period, including serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders, as well as high-prevalence disorders such as anxiety and depression. She will provide an overview of the psychotropic management of these disorders in pregnancy and while breastfeeding and discuss the delicate risk: benefit analysis involved when considering prescribing psychotropic medication in the perinatal period.