Psychiatric disorder in pregnancy and the first postnatal year

  • University Hospital Lewisham ROR
  • Guy's Hospital ROR

The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science, 144(5), 453-462

DOI 10.1192/bjp.144.5.453 PMID 6733369

Abstract

We interviewed 128 women regularly during pregnancy and the first postnatal year. Psychiatric interviews identified eight 'cases' of psychiatric disorder (6 per cent) in early pregnancy and twenty 'cases' (16 per cent) at six weeks after birth. Postnatal affective disorder, which accounted for 15 of these cases, was significantly associated with dissatisfaction with the marital relationship and also with previous psychiatric history. The implications of the term 'postnatal depression' are considered in terms of the course of the disorder in the 29 women (23 per cent) who had episodes of affective disorder at some time during pregnancy and the postnatal year. We found that the majority of episodes of affective disorder could be understood in terms of previous psychiatric history and/or reaction to life-events, including the stress of childbirth itself.

Topics

psychiatric disorder pregnancy postnatal year prevalence, postnatal depression risk factors marital dissatisfaction, affective disorder pregnancy longitudinal study, postpartum psychiatric disorder previous psychiatric history, postnatal depression life events stress childbirth, perinatal mental health prospective cohort study, postnatal affective disorder incidence six weeks postpartum, psychiatric morbidity pregnancy first year after birth, Watson Elliott postnatal depression longitudinal, postpartum mood disorder marital relationship quality
PMID 6733369 6733369 DOI 10.1192/bjp.144.5.453 10.1192/bjp.144.5.453

Cite this article

Watson, J. P., Elliott, S. A., RUGG-GUNN, A. J., & Brough, D. I. (1984). Psychiatric disorder in pregnancy and the first postnatal year. *The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science*, *144*(5), 453-462. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.144.5.453

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