Follow-up and family study of postpartum psychoses

摘要

As part of a follow-up and family study of post-partum psychoses, this episode of illness being the first leading to psychiatric hospitalisation, patients with puerperal episodes (PE) and nonpuerperal episodes (NPE) of illness in the long-term course (n=79) were compared to patients with PE only (n=40). Few differences were found. Relatives of patients with PE only had a lower morbidity risk for functional psychoses than relatives of patients with PE and NPE. A favourable course of illness in the presence of a low genetic predisposition may be expected, according to the diathesis-stress model of functional psychoses.