Psychosis after childbirth occurs as a result of unique developmental and social demands. The authors have developed a treatment approach for the management of Postpartum psychotic mothers admitted with their babies, based on their experience on an acute psychiatric inpatient unit with a special interest in the treatment of postpartum disorders.
Five phases of the acute illness and recovery process are outlined. For each phase, a typical clinical situation, the specific tasks of the phase, and special problem areas are presented. The management guidelines are based on a multi-disciplinary team and phase-oriented approach.
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