Presentation 1: The dance of hormones and ADHD - A Journey of understanding and empowerment
For many ADHDers, hormones aren’t just a background biological process - they can significantly shape how ADHD shows up day to day. Fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone influence dopamine, the neurotransmitter closely linked to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. As hormone levels rise and fall across the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, pregnancy, or menopause, ADHD traits such as focus, emotional regulation, sensory sensitivity, motivation, and impulsivity can shift too.
Many people describe feeling clear, capable, and energised at some points in their cycle, and foggy, overwhelmed, or more rejection-sensitive at others. These changes are often misinterpreted as inconsistency, lack of effort, or “moodiness,” rather than recognised as a neurobiological interaction between hormones and ADHD.
A neurodiversity-affirming lens reframes this as a dynamic nervous system responding to internal change. Instead of striving for constant productivity, this approach encourages cycle-aware planning, compassionate self-understanding, flexible expectations, and practical supports that align with natural fluctuations. The goal - to support them in working with their rhythms rather than against them.
Presented by: Dr Theresa Kidd and Melanie Turner
Presentation 2: Not everything is depression - Reframing distress in early motherhood
Perinatal mental health care has traditionally centred on the identification and treatment of disorders such as postnatal depression and anxiety. While critical, this diagnostic lens alone fails to capture the full psychological experience of becoming a mother.
The concept of matrescence describes the transition to motherhood as a profound developmental shift - involving identity reorganisation, relational change, cognitive load, and emotional complexity. Yet, much of what mothers experience during this period continues to be interpreted through a pathology-based framework.
Emerging neuroscience reinforces that this transition is not only psychological, but biological. Longitudinal studies have demonstrated structural brain changes during pregnancy and postpartum - particularly in regions associated with social cognition, emotional regulation, and attachment - suggesting that motherhood involves a process of neural reorganisation rather than simply a period of vulnerability.
Drawing on clinical insights and service-level data from Mums Matter Psychology - a national bulk-billed perinatal service delivering over 700 appointments per week and supporting more than 5,800 women annually - this presentation explores what emerges when financial barriers to care are reduced.
The data reveals a more nuanced picture of distress.
Many women present not only with diagnosable conditions, but with experiences that sit outside traditional diagnostic categories: identity disruption, ambivalence, loss of autonomy, relationship strain, and an overwhelming cognitive and emotional load. When viewed solely through a diagnostic lens, these experiences risk being either pathologised or overlooked.
This session argues for a shift in clinical framing - from “What disorder is present?” to “What transition is occurring?”
This reframing has meaningful implications for assessment, formulation, intervention, and the design of perinatal mental health services.
What this session will cover:
- Matrescence as a normative developmental transition, supported by both psychological and neurological change
- What neuroscience tells us about brain reorganisation in early motherhood
- What large-scale service data reveals about the true nature of maternal distress
- The limitations of diagnosis-led frameworks in early parenthood
- How identity, role transition, and relational shifts present in therapy
- Practical ways psychologists can integrate a matrescence-informed lens into clinical work
- Implications for service design, early intervention, and workforce training
Key takeaways:
- A biologically and psychologically grounded understanding of matrescence
- A broader, more accurate lens on distress in early motherhood
- Practical strategies to support identity transition alongside symptom reduction
- A reframed approach to assessment and formulation
- Insight into how services can better align with real-world maternal experiences
Presented by: Frances Bilbao
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