A retrospective review of psychiatric admissions of females of childbearing age to a Gauteng Hospital, comparing those in the peripartum period to the general population

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy and the peripartum period can be challenging, especially for women who have or are susceptible to a mental illness. Mental illness in the peripartum period impacts on the mother and the family as a whole. There is a paucity of data from South Africa on in-patient admissions of women during the peripartum period and therefore we hope to describe this group within our context in Johannesburg in order to improve our understanding of this population. Aim of the Study: To describe the population of female psychiatric patients admitted to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and to compare those presenting in the peripartum period with the non-pregnant, general female admissions. Study Design: A retrospective record review of patient admissions to the female psychiatric wards in 2017. Patients within the reproductive age group were included in the study. Results: Within the peripartum sub-group 46.2% had a diagnosis of bipolar and related disorders, while only 11.5% were diagnosed with a depressive disorder. For the overall study cohort, bipolar and related disorders were shown to be the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric disorder (41.4%), followed by psychotic disorders (30.1%), substance-related disorders (21.8%) and depressive disorders (14.4%). Women in the peripartum period did not differ from the general admissions based on diagnosis or length of stay but were prescribed less of the mood stabiliser class of medication and were younger in age. Conclusion: The findings of this study describe the common presentation of inpatient female admissions. The most common presentation for women both in the peripartum period and the general population is bipolar disorder. This is considered a severe mental illness and has long-term considerations for both the mother and child. Specialised services should be considered for this high-risk group