Postnatal psychosis : bringing psychosis after birth out of the shadows

Postnatal (postpartum or puerperal) psychosis is a little known but terrifying condition that affects women in the first six weeks after childbirth (Essali, Alabed, Guul, and Essale, 2013). Although much of the literature reports that postnatal psychosis has a sudden onset of auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions, rapid mood swings and perplexed thinking, women diagnosed with the condition say that they knew they were experiencing something unusual long before they are able to access help. A lack of recognition of the early symptoms of postnatal psychosis has critical implications for the women, their babies and their families because the risk of suicide, and less commonly, infanticide is increased (Posmontier, 2010).