Urgency in the Fourth Trimester: Postpartum Psychosis as a Psychiatric Crisis

Abstract

Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a rare but severe psychiatric emergency, affecting 1–2 out of every 1,000 new mothers (1). Unlike postpartum depression, which is currently more widely recognized and characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, sleep disturbances, guilt or feelings of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite, psychomotor changes, and thoughts of death or suicide while remaining in contact with reality, PPP involves a loss of reality and may include dangerous behaviours driven by delusional beliefs. Its urgency lies in the significantly elevated risks of suicide and infanticide, estimated at around 5% and 4%, respectively (2). Immediate recognition and treatment are critical, as most affected women require psychiatric hospitalization to prevent tragic outcomes for both mother and child.