The Power of Reproductive Psychiatry
With Dr. Melissa Wagner
Stories to Solutions
Interview Recorded on: August 9th, 2025
Dr. Melissa Wagner describes herself with characteristic humility as "permanently indecisive," though her colleagues might say she's simply permanently curious. This distinguished triple-board certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has thoughtfully integrated her interest in pediatrics, psychiatry, and women's health into a comprehensive specialty that represents the future of holistic medical care: reproductive psychiatry.
"I am really practicing as a comprehensive child and adolescent psychiatrist," she explains, "because I'm working with parents during this critical time period to support the family, strengthen bonds, and positively impact the next generation."
This represents preventive medicine with meaningful generational impact.
Understanding the Mental Health Landscape
Reproductive psychiatry addresses mental health during life's significant hormonal transitions: puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. Her expertise is increasingly vital, as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders have become the leading cause of maternal morbidity after childbirth—surpassing conditions like gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Her practice encompasses a diverse patient population, from typical new parents to society's most vulnerable populations, including pregnant women with serious mental illness who may be hospitalized or incarcerated. Her goal is clear: "Help stabilize symptoms before delivery so patients can actively participate in planning their future and experience meaningful connections with their infants."
Creating Lasting Impact
Dr. Wagner’s approach is built on evidence-based principles: supporting parents creates stronger families. Research shows that depression and anxiety rates remain equal between boys and girls until puberty, when hormonal changes create patterns that continue through pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause.
By providing intervention during these critical windows—particularly the perinatal period—reproductive psychiatrists can prevent challenges from affecting future generations. Treatment often includes fundamental support like ensuring adequate sleep and community resources, making this specialized care accessible even in resource-limited settings globally.
A Model for Modern Medicine
Dr. Wagner’s work exists at a meaningful intersection of multiple specialties, demonstrating that in our era of increasing medical specialization, innovative approaches often come from thoughtful integration rather than narrow focus.
She exemplifies the psychiatrist who understands that supporting children sometimes begins with caring for their parents, and that effective parental support requires understanding the complex hormonal influences that shape mental health throughout life.
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Links to Solutions
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Relationship as medicine:
Effective treatment combines evidence-based medication with trust-building, especially for patients failed by previous healthcare encounters
Lived experience leads:
Peer recovery specialists often provide insights and connections that medical training cannot match
Meet Our Guest
Dr. Melissa Wagner
Dr. Melissa Wagner is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry and medical director of the adult inpatient psychiatric services at the University of Cincinnati. She completed her MD and PhD as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2012 with a scientific focus on Neuroscience.
Her post-graduate clinical training encompassed completion of residency in a triple board training program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati, where she received training and board certification in pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry.
Following residency, Wagner gained expertise in treating women with mental illness during times of hormonal transitions and is Perinatal Mental Health Certified through Postpartum Support International.
As a clinician-scientist, Wagner collaborates with internists, pediatricians, obstetricians, women’s mental health psychiatrists and psychologists at both the University of Cincinnati and the University of Illinois with an academic focus that includes developing innovative care delivery models to help improve the diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental illness, the diagnosis and treatment of underserved and at-risk youth with mental illness, and research involving PMDD, suicide risk, and neurosteroids.
Further, Wagner is clinically active in both psychiatry and pediatrics and serves as a supervising pediatrician within a Medicine-Pediatrics resident clinic at the University of Cincinnati, a supervising psychiatrist in a rural-based Child and Adolescent mental health clinic, and as the collaborative care women’s mental health and child psychiatrist in an innovative two-generation clinic within the internal medicine/pediatrics department at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Her post-graduate clinical training encompassed completion of residency in a triple board training program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati, where she received training and board certification in pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry.
Following residency, Wagner gained expertise in treating women with mental illness during times of hormonal transitions and is Perinatal Mental Health Certified through Postpartum Support International.
As a clinician-scientist, Wagner collaborates with internists, pediatricians, obstetricians, women’s mental health psychiatrists and psychologists at both the University of Cincinnati and the University of Illinois with an academic focus that includes developing innovative care delivery models to help improve the diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental illness, the diagnosis and treatment of underserved and at-risk youth with mental illness, and research involving PMDD, suicide risk, and neurosteroids.
Further, Wagner is clinically active in both psychiatry and pediatrics and serves as a supervising pediatrician within a Medicine-Pediatrics resident clinic at the University of Cincinnati, a supervising psychiatrist in a rural-based Child and Adolescent mental health clinic, and as the collaborative care women’s mental health and child psychiatrist in an innovative two-generation clinic within the internal medicine/pediatrics department at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Connect to Dr. Melissa Wagner
Organization Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-cincinnati-college-of-medicine/
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Dr. Emily Carter
Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Mental Health Advocate
How To Get Involved?
Dr. Emily Carter
Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Mental Health Advocate
How To Get Involved?
Dr. Emily Carter
Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Mental Health Advocate
How To Get Involved?
Dr. Emily Carter
Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Mental Health Advocate
How To Get Involved?
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