A Psychoendocrine Study of Pregnancy and Puerperium

To investigate the relationship between hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and the increased incidence of psychiatric disturbances during the postpartum period, the authors conducted a controlled psychological and biochemical assessment of 21 women during pregnancy and the puerperium. On the basis of the findings reported here, they speculate that the increased incidence of clinically significant disorders among women in the postpartum period may be due to the increased environmental stresses of maternal responsibilities in association with lack of rebound from the biochemical changes of pregnancy.