Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Postpartum Psychosis?SymptomsRisk FactorsDiagnosisTreatment

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Table of Contents

What Is Postpartum Psychosis?

Symptoms

Risk Factors

Diagnosis

Treatment

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Postpartumpsychosisis a serious mental illness that occurs after childbirth. It is considered a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately.

During the perinatal period, which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, women undergo many physical, emotional, and social changes, which can lead to mental disturbances, includingmood swings,depression,PTSD, and psychosis.

Though it’s a rare perinatal disorder, postpartum psychosis occurs in one to two per one thousand women of childbearing age. The onset of postpartum psychosis typically occurs within days up to six weeks after giving birth.

If you’re experiencing thoughts of suicide or thoughts of harming your child, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you’re experiencing thoughts of suicide or thoughts of harming your child, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis

While it’s not uncommon for women to undergo feelings of sadness, worry, anxiety, or depression in those very early days after giving birth, the symptoms of postpartum psychosis are more intense than these.

Some common symptoms of this disorder include:

Women suffering with postpartum psychosis are more likely to have experienced recent stressful life events and have higher perceived stress than women without postpartum psychosis.

Symptoms can range in severity, with some women experiencing less severe and dangerous episodes. However, there’s also a 5% suicide rate and a 4% infanticide rate associated with postpartum psychosis.

Risk Factors for Postpartum Psychosis

Postpartum psychosis can occur in any woman following childbirth, though some face a higher risk than others. It is considered a rare mental health condition and there is evidence that both hormonal and immunological changes can precipitate postpartum depression and/or contribute to the underlying neuropathology of postpartum psychosis.

Those with highest risk have:

Those battling psychosocial stress and biological stress face an even higher risk.However, studies show that nearly 50% of postpartum psychosis cases in first-time mothers are among women without previouspsychiatric hospitalizationhistory.

Diagnosis of Postpartum Psychosis

If there’s a reasonable concern to believe the mother or child is in danger, then the patient will be hospitalized before being evaluated and treated.

When screening for postpartum psychosis, providers will likely review the patient’s medical history, do a physical examination, and evaluate the patient’s mood and feelings throughout the pregnancy and postpartum, using mental health scales such as the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) and mood disorder questionnaire (MDQ).

Blood labs may be ordered to rule out other medical conditions and identify the cause of psychosis.

Treatment for Postpartum Psychosis

The onset of postpartum psychosis usually occurs quickly and often requires immediate hospitalization.

The patient will then be evaluated, treated, and monitored. If treated, psychosis can resolve itself quickly, but treatment will depend entirely on the individual patient’s circumstance and prior medical and mental health history.

Common treatments for postpartum psychosis include:

The good news is that postpartum psychosis is treatable. While some women may transition to bipolar disorder following diagnosis and treatment, studies show that 43.5% of women with postpartum psychosis have no manic or psychotic recurrence outside of the postpartum period.

What Causes Psychosis?

Keep in Mind

What Is Psychosis?

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Raza SK, Raza S.Postpartum psychosis. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.

Postpartum Support International (PSI).Postpartum psychosis

Biological stress response in women at risk of postpartum psychosis: The role of life events and inflammation.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2020;113:104558.

Maguire J.Hormonal and immunological factors in postpartum psychosis.In:Biomarkers of Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders. Elsevier; 2020:159-179.

Risk factors for postpartum relapse in women at risk of postpartum psychosis: The role of psychosocial stress and the biological stress systemPsychoneuroendocrinology. 2021;128:105218.

Rommel AS, Molenaar NM, Gilden J, et al.Long-term outcome of postpartum psychosis: a prospective clinical cohort study in 106 women.International Journal of Bipolar Disorders. 2021;9(1):31.

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