title: Psychotic-like experiences in pregnant and postpartum women without a history of psychosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are prevalent amongst women in pregnancy and/or in the early postnatal phase, and whether the predictors identified in the literature for non-puerperal psychosis apply in a general sample of perinatal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  101 women in their third trimester of pregnancy completed questionnaire measures of mood, subjective well-being, sleep, expectations about labour, and PLEs. 66 of these participants also completed questionnaires shortly after giving birth. The main outcome measures were scores on the Peters Delusions Inventory (PDI) and the Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale-Revised (LSHS-R).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During pregnancy, 80% of the samples endorsed at least one item on the PDI, and 76% endorsed at least one item on the LSHS-R. Endorsement rates were lower postnatally, with rates of 59% and 52% for the PDI and LSHS-R, respectively. Mean scores on the PDI were 3.07 during pregnancy and 1.61 postnatally. Mean scores on the LSHS-R were 8.38 during pregnancy and 5.24 postnatally. Hierarchical multiPLEs regression analyses revealed that ratings of depressive symptomatology significantly predicted PDI total score during pregnancy and LSHS-R total score postnatally, whilst postnatally, scores obtained on the PDI and LSHS-R postnatally were significantly predicted by scores on these measures during pregnancy. Fear in childbirth, but not in pregnancy, showed associations with PLEs but these associations were not maintained once multivariate analyses were conducted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study support the continuum model of psychosis, by illustrating that PLEs occur frequently in perinatal individuals without a diagnosis of severe mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology Unit, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Aisling.Mannion@nottshc.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Aisling
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mannion
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology - Ground Floor Whelan Building, Institute of Psychology, Health & Society, Brownlow Hill, University of Liverpool, Liverpool LG9 3GB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Slade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D062706:Prodromal Symptoms; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Postpartum; Pregnancy; Psychosis; Psychotic-like