Citation

Wright T, Stevens S, Reed PW, Wouldes TA. Infant Ment. Health J. 2020; 41(6): 770-782.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/imhj.21870

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Mother-Baby Unit research has focussed on maternal psychopathology over the course of an admission. Less is known about the baby's well-being, the shared relationship, or the mother's recovery. In an initial sample of 45 women, we describe discharge and post-discharge outcomes for maternal psychopathology (using maternal report and the Global Assessment of Function, GAF) and the mother-infant relationship (using the Child and Adult Relational Experimental Index, CARE Index). Three months post-discharge, one third of women described themselves as "completely recovered," one third were experiencing significant deterioration and 17% were readmitted to inpatient care. Poorer GAF scores were associated with a clinical diagnosis of comorbid personality disorder, antenatal presence of the index illness, partner illicit substance use, maternal perception of her bond, infant social withdrawal, and child protection concern. Post-discharge, the mother-infant relationship results were concerning. Only 17% were regarded as adequate. Improvement was observed across this period in 56% but relational deterioration occurred for 35%. Maternal and relational outcomes were weakly correlated at discharge (r² = 0.29, p = 0.07) but this was lost post-discharge (r² = 0.03, p = 0.89). The shared relationship and infant mental health should both be targets for intervention; both during MBU admission, and post-discharge.

Language: en

Keywords

après la sortie; bébé; después de darles de alta; infant; Infante; maternal mental health; Mother–Baby Unit; Mutter-Kind-Beziehung; Mutter-Kind-Station; nachstationär; perinatale psychische Gesundheit; post-discharge; relación madre-infante; relation mère-bébé; salud mental perinatal; santé mentale périnatale; Säugling; Unidad de Madres y Bebés; unité maman bébé; الرضيع، بعد الخروج، وحدة الطفل الأم، الصحة النفسية في الفترة المحيطة بالولادة، العلاقة بين الأم والرضيع; 乳児; 产期心理健康; 出院后; 周産期精神保健; 婴儿; 母婴中心; 母婴关系; 母子ユニット; 母子関係; 退院後