Predictors of mother-infant interaction quality in women at risk of postpartum psychosis: The role of emotion recognition.

Background: Limited research exists on mother-infant interaction in women at-risk-of postpartum psychosis (PP). This study aimed to investigate potential predictors of mother-infant interaction quality in women at-risk-of-PP during the first postnatal year. Potential predictors investigated were: maternal ability to recognize emotions, childhood maltreatment, parenting stress, and infant social-interactive behaviour at birth.

Neuropsychological performance in women at risk of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.

Purpose: While neuropsychological deficits are commonly observed in affective and psychotic disorders, this remains unexplored in these disorders when they occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Methods: A neuropsychological test battery was administered to women defined at risk of postpartum depression (PD, N = 53) because having either a current or past diagnosis of major depressive disorder, women at risk of postpartum psychosis (PP, N = 43) because of a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder and/or a previous episode of PP and women not at risk (NR, N = 48) in the third trimester of pregnancy. Generalized and specific cognitive abilities were compared between groups.

Maternal perceived bonding towards the infant and parenting stress in women at risk of postpartum psychosis with and without a postpartum relapse.

Background: Postpartum psychosis (PP) is the most severe psychiatric disorder associated with childbirth. However, there is little research on maternal bonding towards the infant and parenting stress in this clinical population.

Methods: We investigated maternal bonding during pregnancy and post-partum in 75 women: 46 at risk of PP (AR), because of a DSM-IV diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder or previous PP, and 29 healthy controls.

Altered dynamics of the prefrontal networks are associated with the risk for postpartum psychosis: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Postpartum psychosis (PP) is a severe mental disorder that affects women in the first few weeks after delivery. To date there are no biomarkers that distinguish which women at risk (AR) develop a significant psychiatric relapse postpartum. While altered brain connectivity may contribute to the risk for psychoses unrelated to the puerperium, this remains unexplored in PP.