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Psychiatric Disorder in Pregnancy and the First Postnatal Year

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

J. P. Watson ,
S. A. Elliott ,
A. J. Rugg  and
D. I. Brough
J. P. Watson
Affiliation:
Guy's Hospital Medical School, London SE1 9RT
S. A. Elliott
Affiliation:
Lewisham Psychiatric Research Unit
A. J. Rugg
Affiliation:
Lewisham Psychiatric Unit; now Consultant Psychiatrist at Clifton Hospital, York
D. I. Brough
Affiliation:
Lewisham and North Southwark Health Authority
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Summary

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.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 144 , Issue 5 , May 1984 , pp. 453 - 462
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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