Childhood Abuse and Postpartum Psychosis: Is There a Link?

Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a serious mental health issue associated with maternal suicide and infanticide. Although a growing research base suggests that childhood abuse is predictive of psychosis, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression, the link between abuse and PPP is less clear. Currently, prevention and treatment strategies are pharmacological and require hospitalization once symptoms arise. Unfortunately, these strategies are not ideal for affected women and their infants. Testing the relationship between experiences of childhood abuse and PPP may reveal abuse variables to be both statistically and clinically meaningful predictors of the disorder. A dose-response model suggests that women who report more severe abuse or multi-victimization will be more likely to develop PPP. The authors suggest trauma screening in psychiatric, obstetrical, and community practice settings to identify women at-risk for PPP, and advocate for the addition of gender-responsive and trauma-focused psychotherapy to pharmacological interventions for this population.