Are sociodemographic factors and year of delivery associated with hospital admission for postpartum psychosis? A study of 500,000 first-time mothers.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between first hospital admissions due to postpartum psychosis and the explanatory variables age, educational level, marital status and year of delivery.


METHODS
All Swedish first-time mothers (n = 502,767) were included during a 12-year period and followed for first hospital admissions due to postpartum psychosis. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios, adjusted for the explanatory variables.


RESULTS
Older age and being a single mother implied an increased risk of first hospital admissions due to postpartum psychosis among first-time mothers. Educational level was not associated with first hospital admissions due to postpartum psychosis. During the 1990s, when a reduction in psychiatric beds occurred, first hospital admissions due to postpartum psychosis decreased significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Certain sociodemographic factors are associated with first hospital admissions due to postpartum psychosis. Untreated postpartum psychosis due to fewer psychiatric beds could have hazardous effects on mothers and their children.
Nager
A
A
Karolinska Institute, Center for Family Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden.
Johansson
L-M
LM
Sundquist
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003710:Demography; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010298:Parity; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology