Risk Factors for Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders. A Review of the Literature

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors for the development of postpartum psychiatric disorders through international literature.

Materials and Methods: Throughout many articles in PubMed, Google scholar and PsycInfo, a great amount of recent data was gathered to identify the disorders that are most common as well as their risk factors.

Results: After childbirth, most commonly women experience postpartum depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and postpartum psychosis. All the disorders have many similar risk-factors with the main one being preexisting psychiatric disorder and many similar symptoms too.

Conclusions: Women after childbirth are at risk of experience many psychiatric disorders, such as postpartum distress, postpartum post traumatic stress disorder and even more rarely postpartum psychosis. It is important to provide comprehensive support to ensure the well-being of both the mother and the infant and this will be ensured by proper perinatal education and early diagnosis in pregnancy, as well as follow-up of the women that lead to risk factors.