A national audit of joint mother and baby admissions to UK psychiatric hospitals: an overview of findings

Arch Womens Ment Health. 2004 Feb;7(1):65-70. doi: 10.1007/s00737-003-0042-4. Epub 2004 Jan 8.

Abstract

The Marcé Clinical Audit is an ongoing data collection exercise that gathers socio-demographic and clinical information about mothers and their infants, admitted jointly to specialist units in UK psychiatric hospitals. The maternal and parenting outcomes, in particular of mothers with schizophrenia and mothers who harm themselves and/or their infants, were determined and analysed. The majority of women had a primary diagnosis of either depression (43%) or schizophrenia (21%). Mothers with schizophrenia were three times more likely to experience a poor outcome than non-schizophrenic mothers, were more likely to be separated from their infant at discharge and were perceived, by staff, to be at greater risk of harming their infant. They were, however, shown to be no more likely to cause actual harm to their infant, or themselves, than non-schizophrenic mothers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child Abuse / prevention & control*
  • Female
  • Hospitals, Psychiatric / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Medical Audit
  • Middle Aged
  • Mother-Child Relations*
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Mothers / statistics & numerical data
  • Patient Admission / statistics & numerical data
  • Postnatal Care / organization & administration
  • Postnatal Care / statistics & numerical data*
  • Schizophrenic Psychology*
  • Self-Injurious Behavior
  • Treatment Outcome
  • United Kingdom
  • Utilization Review