Postpartum psychosis
Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a mental health emergency.[1] This form of psychosis occurs in people who just gave birth, affecting their sense of reality so they do not know what is real and what is not. It can cause hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and/or other changes in behavior.[2]
Postpartum psychosis is rare, affecting between 0.89 and 2.6 women for every 1000 births in the first 6 weeks after childbirth.[3] PPP is the most severe form of postpartum psychiatric illness.[4]
PPP is treatable and reversible, especially with early treatment.[1][5]
Risk of harm
In some severe cases, people with PPP have tried to hurt themselves or their infants.[6][7][8] This is rare.[7] Nevertheless, according to the Cleveland Clinic:
People with postpartum psychosis have a much higher risk of harming themselves, dying by suicide or harming their children. Because of this, PPP is a mental health emergency."[5]
Symptoms
Symptoms usually start in the first few days after birth (sometimes within a few hours of giving birth), but they can appear up to several weeks later.[2]
Symptoms of PPD can include:[5]
- Mood changes (like anxiety, panic, mania, or depression)
- Depersonalization (feeling detached or "out-of-body")
- Disorganized thinking or behavior
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feeling irritable or agitated
- Thinking about self-harm or harming others (especially their newborn)
Causes & risk factors
Experts do not know what causes PPP. However, many factors affect the risk of developing this condition.
New mothers are at higher risk for developing PPP if they already have bipolar I disorder or schizophrenia.[5] But up to 40% of PPP cases happen in people with no prior mental illness.[3]
People who already developed PPP after a prior pregnancy are at higher risk. But after the first child, there is a 50% to 70% chance that the mother will never experience PPP again.[5]
Other factors that contribute to PPD include post-childbirth hormone changes and sleep deprivation.[2]
Related pages
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Raza, Sehar K.; Raza, Syed (2025), "Postpartum Psychosis", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 31335024, retrieved 2025-09-14
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Postpartum psychosis". National Health Service of the United Kingdom. 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Michalczyk, Justyna; Miłosz, Agata; Soroka, Ewelina (2023-12-29). "Postpartum Psychosis: A Review of Risk Factors, Clinical Picture, Management, Prevention, and Psychosocial Determinants". Medical Science Monitor: International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research. 29: e942520. doi:10.12659/MSM.942520. ISSN 1643-3750. PMC 10759251. PMID 38155489.
- ↑ "Long-Term Outcomes of Postpartum Psychosis: What is the Risk of Recurrence? - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health". MGH Center for Women's Mental Health. 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Postpartum Psychosis". Cleveland Clinic. 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ↑ Charatan, Fred; Eaton, Florida; Eaton, Lynn (2002-03-16). "Woman may face death penalty in postnatal depression case". BMJ (Clinical research ed.). 324 (7338): 634. doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7338.634. ISSN 1756-1833. PMC 1122575. PMID 11895819.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cohen, Ziv E. (2023-04-13). "Rare and tragic cases of postpartum psychosis are bringing renewed attention to its risks and the need for greater awareness of psychosis after childbirth". The Conversation. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ Winter, Jessica (2023-03-14). "What We Still Don't Understand About Postpartum Psychosis". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2025-09-14.