THE LONGITUDINAL COURSE OF PARA‐NATAL EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE

Abstract

Ninety-five nulliparous women were interviewed during pregnancy and 4 months post partum. The possibility of predicting mental disturbance post partum from that during pregnancy was studied. When the woman was mentally disturbed during pregnancy, the prognosis was better in the case of a poor social situation at the time of the pregnancy than in the case of a good social situation. Negative attitude towards further pregnancies and repudiation of the own mother, however, implied unfavourable prognosis. In the case of a woman without mental symptoms during pregnancy, denial of the pregnancy and sensations connected with it suggested poor adaptation post partum.