Mother-Baby Psychiatric Unit: analysis of Separation at Discharge. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 5/2, 49-58 CARE IN A MOTHER-BABY PSYCHIATRIC UNIT: ANALYSIS OF SEPARATION AT DISCHARGE

Joint psychiatric admission to a Mother-Baby Unit (MBU) enables a mother to obtain care for psychiatric disorders and simultaneously receive support in developing her identity as a mother. This care is meant to prevent attachment disorders and mother-baby separation. Outcome on discharge, however, may differ according to the mother's admission diagnosis. Demographic data, clinical features of parent and child and clinical outcome of 92 consecutive admissions of mothers and their children to a MBU in Marseille were collected over a period of eight years (1991-1998).