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Pre-conception self-harm, maternal mental health and mother–infant bonding problems: a 20-year prospective cohort study

journal contribution
posted on 2019-12-01, 00:00 authored by Rohan Borschmann, Emma Molyneaux, Liz SpryLiz Spry, Paul Moran, Louise M Howard, Jacqui MacdonaldJacqui Macdonald, Stephanie J Brown, Margarita Moreno-Betancur, Craig OlssonCraig Olsson, George C Patton
Background: Self-harm in young people is associated with later problems in social and emotional development. However, it is unknown whether self-harm in young women continues to be a marker of vulnerability on becoming a parent. This study prospectively describes the associations between pre-conception self-harm, maternal depressive symptoms and mother–infant bonding problems.MethodsThe Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study (VIHCS) is a follow-up to the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study (VAHCS) in Australia. Socio-demographic and health variables were assessed at 10 time-points (waves) from ages 14 to 35, including self-reported self-harm at waves 3–9. VIHCS enrolment began in 2006 (when participants were aged 28–29 years), by contacting VAHCS women every 6 months to identify pregnancies over a 7-year period. Perinatal depressive symptoms were assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale during the third trimester, and 2 and 12 months postpartum. Mother–infant bonding problems were assessed with the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire at 2 and 12 months postpartum.ResultsFive hundred sixty-four pregnancies from 384 women were included. One in 10 women (9.7%) reported pre-conception self-harm. Women who reported self-harming in young adulthood (ages 20–29) reported higher levels of perinatal depressive symptoms and mother–infant bonding problems at all perinatal time points [perinatal depressive symptoms adjusted β = 5.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.42–7.39; mother–infant bonding problems adjusted β = 7.51, 95% CI 3.09–11.92]. There was no evidence that self-harm in adolescence (ages 15–17) was associated with either perinatal outcome.ConclusionsSelf-harm during young adulthood may be an indicator of future vulnerability to perinatal mental health and mother–infant bonding problems.

History

Journal

Psychological medicine

Volume

49

Issue

16

Pagination

2727 - 2735

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Location

cambridge, Eng.

ISSN

0033-2917

eISSN

1469-8978

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2018, Cambridge University Press