Postpartum psychosis: Two cohorts compared, 1875–1924 and 1994–2005

Abstract

There has been a long-standing debate as to whether postpartum psychoses are distinct from other psychoses. While the outcomes of postpartum psychosis are in general thought to be good, the disorder is linked to a high rate of suicide.We have utilized a database of 3872 admissions to the North Wales Asylum during the period 1875–1924 to extract data on the prevalence, course and clinical features of postpartum psychoses during this period. We have collected first admissions for postpartum psychosis between 1994 and 2005 in North West Wales to establish a current incidence rate for the disorder.