Delusional ideation during the perinatal period in a community sample.
Despite the prevalence of mental health problems during the perinatal period, little research has examined psychotic symptoms in a community sample across pregnancy and the postpartum. Exposure to environmental risk factors, and immigration in particular, are associated with increased risk for psychotic disorders. The current investigation examined whether psychosocial risk and immigrant status would predict levels of delusional ideation across the perinatal period when controlling for depression, anxiety, and demographic factors.



A community sample of 316 pregnant women was assessed at 12-14 and 32-34weeks gestation during routine clinic visits, and at 7-9weeks postpartum during a home visit. Measures included self-report ratings of psychosocial risk (e.g., history of mental health problems or abuse, stressful life events, lack of social support), pregnancy-related anxiety, depressive symptomatology, and delusional ideation.



There was less delusional ideation during the postpartum period than during early pregnancy. Across all time points, levels of delusional ideation were lower than in the general population. Analyses using multilevel modeling indicated significant fixed-effects for the variables time, age, partnership, being religious and prenatal anxiety, but not depressive symptomatology, on delusional ideation. Immigrant status moderated the effect of psychosocial risk such that greater psychosocial risk predicted more symptoms of delusional ideation among immigrants, but not non-immigrants.



Psychosocial risk factors place immigrant women at an increased likelihood for experiencing delusional ideation during the perinatal period.
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada. Electronic address: anna.mackinnon@mail.mcgill.ca.
Anna L
AL
MacKinnon
Interfaculty of Cognitive Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Mariam
M
Naguib
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
Helena J
HJ
Barr
Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Anna
A
Levinsson
Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
Stephanie
S
Robins
Centre for Nursing Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nancy
N
Feeley
Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Barbara
B
Hayton
Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Phyllis
P
Zelkowitz
Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Ian
I
Gold
D000328:Adult; D003702:Delusions / Q000503:physiopathology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology
Delusional ideation; Immigrant status; Perinatal period; Psychosocial risk