Self-Harm, Self-Harm Ideation, and Mother-Infant Interactions: A Prospective Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Mental Health
• Reproductive Psychiatry
• Maternal-Infant Interaction Studies

Background:

• Maternal self-harm, encompassing lifetime history and pregnancy-related ideation, presents a significant concern for perinatal mental health.
• Understanding the impact of maternal self-harm on the developing mother-infant relationship is critical for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal self-harm history and current ideation with mother-infant interactions.
• To examine the relationship between maternal self-harm and perinatal depressive symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 545 women in southeast London.
• Assessment of self-harm history and ideation via research interviews.
• Evaluation of depressive symptoms (EPDS) and mother-infant relationship (CARE-Index, Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire) at multiple time points.

Main Results:

• Maternal self-harm history correlated with baseline depressive symptoms.
• Self-harm ideation during pregnancy was significantly associated with depressive symptoms throughout the perinatal period.
• Self-harm ideation, not history, linked to maternal controlling behaviors and infant compulsive behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Pregnancy-related self-harm ideation is associated with heightened perinatal depressive symptoms and diminished mother-infant relationship quality.
• Women experiencing self-harm ideation require targeted psychological interventions addressing distress, risk, and interactional patterns.