Postpartum Psychosis (also called ‘Puerperal Psychosis’, ‘Postnatal Psychosis’, ‘Postpartum Bipolar Disorder’ or PP) is a severe episode of mental illness, which starts suddenly in the first few weeks following childbirth.

PP is relatively rare with episodes following 1-2 in 1000 deliveries, but it can be very severe and serious. There are some groups of women, women with a history of bipolar disorder for example, who are at much higher risk.

There are a large variety of symptoms that women with PP may experience. These include:

symptoms of “high” mood  (mania) -  for example, high mood, racing thoughts or pressure to talk too much.

low mood (depression) – for example, lack of energy, poor appetite and poor sleep.

Severe (psychotic) symptoms, such as believing things that are not true (delusions) or seeing or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations).

With treatment, the vast majority of women will recover fully and there is little evidence of any long term effects on the relationship between a mother and her baby.

Unfortunately we know little about the causes of PP. Most evidence points to biological, probably hormonal, factors related to pregnancy and childbirth but many other factors are likely to be involved.

The period after childbirth can be a devastating time to experience the onset of a severe mental illness. For women who experience PP, their partners, friends and family, it can be hard to find high quality information about the symptoms, causes and treatment.

We have put together an information resource about the illness for women, for their families and for health professionals involved in their care. There are, however, many unanswered questions and areas where much more research is needed.

Coming soon…

More about symptoms

Risk factors and causes

Audio of women describing their experiences of PP