Postpartum Intrusions are Associated with Child and Maternal Mental Health

Background: Postpartum intrusive thoughts are common in new mothers, close to 100% report thoughts of accidental harm befalling their child, and approximately 50% report intrusive thoughts of intentionally harming their child. These thoughts have been associated with maternal anxiety and depression. However, their association with infant mental wellbeing is little understood. Methods: 246 female participants (mean age = 32 years)who were pregnant during the first wave (May-Sep 2020) of the COVID-19 Risks Across the Lifespan study and who completed the final assessment (Oct 2021-April 2022) were included in the present analyses. Results: Maternal postpartum intrusions were significantly associated with maternal depression and anxiety symptoms as well as child negative affectivity. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the associations with both maternal and infant mental health remained significant after controlling for antenatal stress, antenatal depression and anxiety, and infant age; as well as maternal postpartum distress, depression, and anxiety for the infant negative affectivity analyses. Conclusion: These findings suggest that reducing postpartum intrusions is a clinical priority for paediatric and women’s mental health.