Neighborhood socioeconomic environment and risk of postpartum psychosis.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the hypothesized association between the neighborhood socioeconomic environment and postpartum psychosis, after adjustment for individual sociodemographic characteristics.

METHOD

All Swedish women aged 20-44 years who became first-time mothers from 1 January 1986 to 30 September 1998 (N = 485,199) were followed for first hospital admissions due to postpartum psychosis. Neighborhood income was divided into three groups according to the proportions of individuals with low income in the neighborhood. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios for postpartum psychosis.

RESULTS

Women living in the poorest neighborhoods exhibited a significantly higher risk of first hospital admissions due to postpartum psychosis than women living in the richest neighborhoods, HR = 1.49 (95% CI = 1.15-2.91, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Decision makers and health care workers should be aware that living in a poor neighborhood socioeconomic environment might contribute to the development of postpartum psychosis.