Self-harm in women with postpartum mental disorders

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Psychiatry
• Mental Health Epidemiology
• Suicidology

Background:

• First-onset postpartum mental disorders (PPMD) confer a substantial suicide risk.
• Understanding self-harm as a precursor to suicide in this population is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the risk of self-harm in women with first-onset PPMD.
• To examine the association between self-harm and subsequent suicide in women with PPMD.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide Danish register-based cohort study.
• Inclusion criteria: women with psychiatric contact within 90 days of first childbirth.
• Outcome: first hospital-registered episode of self-harm; linkage to suicide data.

Main Results:

• Among 1554 women with severe PPMD, 64 experienced first-time self-harm.
• Women with PPMD had a 6.2-fold increased risk of self-harm compared to mothers without mental disorders.
• Women with PPMD and self-harm records showed a significantly higher risk of later suicide.

Conclusions:

• Women with PPMD exhibit a high risk for self-harm, though lower than other psychiatric groups.
• PPMD women who engage in self-harm represent a particularly vulnerable subgroup with elevated suicide risk.