OCD in Postpartum mothers: Prevalence, Risk & Key Differences
| Key things to know | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| How common is it? | 6.2% global pooled* |
| Is it more common among postpartum mothers? | Higher than general female-population estimates |
| Are postpartum mothers at higher risk? | #N/A |
| How much higher is the risk? | Older diagnostic meta-analysis: RR 2.38 vs women generally |
| How often can it be missed? | Very high; intrusive infant-harm thoughts may be mistaken for intent/psychosis |
| Does it show up differently among postpartum mothers? | Yes |
| How might it look different? | Infant-harm/aggressive obsessions, checking and reassurance seeking particularly prominent |
| What commonly occurs alongside it? | Postpartum depression; anxiety disorders |
| What can it be confused with? | Normal intrusive infant thoughts; postpartum psychosis; postpartum depression; GAD |
| Common screening tool | OCI-R |
| Separate screening tool for postpartum mothers | Perinatal OCD-specific tools exist, but no single standard population screener |
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