Some women can experience postpartum psychosis after giving birth. This condition should be treated as a medical emergency, as the mother could have thoughts of self-harm and suicide, where she could intentionally hurt herself or her newborn baby. Fortunately, postpartum psychosis is a treatable mental health condition, where the mother can fully recover, with comprehensive and personalized care plans.
What Is Postpartum Psychosis?
Postpartum psychosis is a mental health disorder that can occur after childbirth in some new mothers. The condition could occur within a few days of giving birth or could take up to six weeks before symptoms appear. The onset of symptoms occurs suddenly, often without any warning. Due to the severity of the condition, immediate medical care and treatment are needed. Initially, women usually require inpatient treatment until their condition is stabilized.
Who Does Postpartum Psychosis Affect?
Postpartum psychosis can affect any woman who gives birth. However, most women will never experience this rare mental health disorder. Yet, it is still important to be aware of the symptoms and causes, just in case someone could be at risk of developing this condition.
How Common Is Postpartum Psychosis?
Postpartum psychosis is a very rare condition that only affects between 0.089 to 2.6 per 1000 births worldwide, based on research into the condition. Even though it is a rare mental health condition, it needs immediate treatment due to risks to the mother and her newborn baby.
Symptoms and Causes
Expectant mothers, their spouses or partners, and loved ones should be aware of the symptoms and causes of postpartum psychosis.
What Are the Symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis?
The onset of symptoms occurs suddenly with postpartum psychosis and could include:
- Disorientation and confusion
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Hyperactivity
- Agitation
- Mood swings
- Disorganized thinking
- Strange behaviours
- Insomonia
- Thoughts of self-harm and suicide
- Thoughts of harming or killing the newborn
The symptoms of postpartum psychosis can be broken down into three specific categories:
- Manic: Mania is the second most common form of symptoms associated with postpartum psychosis. The risks of self-harm and suicide are much lower, but could still occur. Some of the signs of a manic episode include agitation, excessive energy, talking faster than normal, and delusions. Some women can also exhibit aggressive behaviors.
- Depression: Depressive symptoms are the most common and are sometimes mistaken for postpartum depression. With postpartum psychosis, the depressive symptoms often involve thoughts of self-harm and suicide and are often accompanied by delusions or hallucinations.
- Mixed: Mixed postpartum psychosis is where the mother exhibits symptoms of both manic and depression. They can be confused and diorietated one moment and the next moment be alert and hyperactive. They can also experience hallucinations, delusions, behave inappropriately, or be catatonic.
What Causes Postpartum Psychosis?
The precise cause of postpartum psychosis is not fully understood as of right now. However, researchers have identified a number of different factors that can contribute to developing this mental health disorder after giving birth, including:
- Family history: If someone has a family history of mental health disorders, including postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, there is a higher risk of developing this condition after they give birth.
- History of mental health disorders: If someone has an existing mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder or depression, it can increase the risks of postpartum psychosis.
- Hormonal changes: As the body goes through hormonal changes during pregnancy and after birth, these changes could be an underlying factor for postpartum psychosis.
- Other medical issues: If a woman has another medical problem like preeclampsia, eclampsia, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, or electrolyte imbalances, these could contribute to the risks of developing postpartum psychosis.
- Number of pregnancies: Women are generally at the highest risk of postpartum psychosis during their first childbirth. If they develop this condition after that birth, there is a risk of it occurring again with future births.
- Sleep deprivation: Not getting sufficient sleep post-birth could trigger postpartum psychosis, as it is a common cause of trigger mania in those with bipolar disorder.
How Is Postpartum Psychosis Diagnosed?
Postpartum psychosis is diagnosed through a thorough examination that includes:
- Physical examination
- Mental health evaluation
- Medical tests
- Imaging scans
- Screening tools and questionnaires
These detailed processes help rule out other underlying medical and mental health conditions. However, since postpartum psychosis requires immediate treatment, the diagnostic processes usually occur while the mother is already receiving treatment to stabilize her condition.
How Long Does Postpartum Psychosis Last?
The recovery time from postpartum psychosis can vary from one woman to the next. Generally, the most severe symptoms will last between two and 12 weeks. Fully recovering from all underlying symptoms can take between six to 12 months, sometimes longer. Ongoing care and treatment are essential to ensure a full recovery.
It is worth mentioning that, in certain cases, some women may develop bipolar disorder after recovering from postpartum psychosis. While there is no cure for bipolar disorder, the condition can be successfully managed with personalized mental health care and treatment.
Difference Between Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Psychosis
While there can be overlapping symptoms between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, they are different mental health conditions. Postpartum depression is a depressive disorder, with symptoms such as:
- Crying spells
- Felling overwhelmed
- Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or worthlessness
- Inomnia
- Changes in eating habits
- Lack of energy
- Difficulties concentrating, focusing, and thinking
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
- Lack of interest in the newborn baby
The primary differences between the two conditions are the presence of mania and psychotic symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, common with postpartum psychosis.
Contact Montare Behavioral Health to Treat Postpartum Psychosis
If you or a loved one is exhibiting signs of postpartum psychosis, immediate help is available at Montare Behavioral Health. We have treatment centers in California and Arizona that provide comprehensive and personalized care tailored to your specific needs. Do not delay seeking treatment as postpartum psychosis can be life-threatening to the mother and the newborn baby. Contact us today to start the admissions process.
Published: 4/11/2025
