Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Psychiatric disorders in obstetrics.

L I Hatherley¹, J E Breheny, F S Robinson

¹Mercy Maternity Hospital, Melbourne, Vic.

The Medical Journal of Australia

|October 20, 1979

Summary

Serious psychiatric illness affects 0.7% of pregnant and postpartum patients. Puerperal-onset cases show high institutionalization and recurrence rates, necessitating further research into predictive factors.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Hydatidiform Mole and Coexistent Foetus, both with Triploid Chromosome Constitution.

British medical journal·2010

Same author

A case of vitamin C deficiency.

British medical journal·2010

Same author

Sentinel lymph node biopsy and breast cancer.

ANZ journal of surgery·2004

Same author

Observed increase in prevalence of gestational diabetes is real.

American journal of obstetrics and gynecology·2000

Same author

Management of the abnormal cervical smear and a historical review of cone biopsy in Victoria.

The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology·1998

Same author

Differences in obstetrical and gynaecological diseases in different populations: prevalences of prematurity, congenital malformations, prolapse, genital tract carcinomas and infections.

The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology·1998

Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Obstetrics
Public Health

Background:

Serious psychiatric illness during pregnancy and the puerperium is a significant concern.
Understanding the incidence and characteristics of these disorders is crucial for maternal health.
Previous research has highlighted the need for identifying risk factors in obstetric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the incidence of serious psychiatric illness in a large cohort of pregnant and puerperal patients.
To analyze the characteristics of puerperal-onset psychiatric disorders, including institutionalization and recurrence rates.
To identify clinical, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors associated with impending psychiatric disorders in obstetric patients.

Main Methods:

Retrospective analysis of 27,376 patient records.
Comparison of patients with psychiatric disorders against a control group.
Analysis of clinical, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors.

Main Results:

The overall incidence of serious psychiatric illness was 0.7% (1 in 138 patients).
Puerperal-onset cases accounted for 32% of all cases, with 22% requiring psychiatric hospitalization.
The recurrence rate for the puerperal-onset group in subsequent pregnancies was 45%.

Conclusions:

Serious psychiatric illness is relatively uncommon but carries significant morbidity, particularly for puerperal-onset cases.
The high recurrence rate in subsequent pregnancies underscores the need for proactive management.
Further investigation into associated clinical, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors may aid in early identification and intervention.

Related Experiment Videos