Psychiatric illness in relation to pregnancy and childbirth I. M ethodologic considerations

Abstract

A nationwide study has been carried out linking the National Birth Register and the National Psychiatric Register, using the identification of the mother as linkage. The study comprises all women who during the period from 1 January 1973 to 31 December 1983 gave birth to a child, and who during a period from 2 years before to 2 years after the childbirth were admitted to a Danish psychiatric institution. All information from both registers is included in the study. The material consists of 6671 women having 10,291 childbirths and 26,235 psychiatric admissions. The methodologic problems relating to delineation of study interval, diagnostic classification, choice of diagnosis, psychosocial factors, and mother-child relationship are discussed.

Key Words:

• Child development
• Classification
• National birth register
• Paranatal mental disorders
• Psychiatric register