Authors : Floria Fernandes

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/muw4a5z9

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/bdcrkuk3

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jun1617

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Postpartum psychiatric disorders can significantly affect maternal well-being, infant development, and family functioning. This case study presents a 33-year-old female admitted to a tertiary psychiatric hospital in India with a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Emotional Disturbance, Borderline Intellectual Functioning, and Cluster B Personality Traits. The patient was admitted for the seventh time within a seven-month period due to recurrent episodes of aggression, agitation, emotional instability, and hostile behavior toward her infant son, husband, and mother-in-law. She had a previous history of Severe Mental and Behavioral Disorder Associated with the Puerperium (ICD-10: F53.1) diagnosed five months earlier. Frequent psychiatric hospitalizations resulted in prolonged separation from her newborn, with the child being primarily cared for by the paternal grandparents. The recurrent nature of her psychiatric symptoms adversely affected mother–infant bonding and disrupted family relationships. Following discharge, the patient chose to reside with her parents due to persistent fear, emotional distress, and strained relationships with her in-laws, who remained reluctant to entrust her with the care of her child. These circumstances led to significant alterations in family dynamics and maternal role functioning. This case highlights the complex interaction between postpartum mental health disorders, cognitive limitations, personality traits, and psychosocial stressors. It underscores the importance of early identification of high-risk mothers during the antenatal period, continuous postpartum follow-up, family-centered interventions, and specialized psychiatric care. Timely therapeutic interventions aimed at stabilizing mood, reducing anxiety, enhancing coping abilities, and strengthening mother–infant attachment are essential for promoting recovery and improving long-term maternal and child outcomes.

Keywords : Adjustment Disorder, Postpartum Mental Health, Borderline Intellectual Functioning, Cluster B Personality Traits, Puerperal Psychiatric Disorder, Mother–Infant Bonding, Family Dynamics, Psychiatric Case Study.

References :

1. Kendell RE, Chalmers JC, Platz C. Epidemiology of puerperal psychoses. Br J Psychiatry. 1987;150:662–73. doi: 10.1192/bjp.150.5.662. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar].
2. VanderKruik et al. The global prevalence of postpartum psychosis: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry. 2017 Jul 28;17:272. doi: 10.1186/s12888-017-1427-7. PMCID: PMC5534064  PMID: 28754094.
3. Rishitha K,Pradeep SP, Isha A, Postpartum Psychosis as a Precursor to Schizophrenia: A Comprehensive Review. Cureus.2024 Sep 2;16(9):e68451. doi: 10.7759/cureus.68451. PMCID: PMC11446226  PMID: 39360112
4. Gupta et al. Psychiatric Emergency -Post Partum Psychosis. March 20, 2023. Available at https://hpathy.com/clinical-cases/psychiatric-emergency-post-partum-psychosis.
5. Sadock B, Sadock V, Ruiz P. Kaplan & Sadock’s .Synopsis of Psychiatry. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2015. [Google Scholar].
6. Kimberly C  ,Joanna G  , Victoria Su . Postpartum Psychosis in a Young VA Patient: Diagnosis, Implications, and Treatment Recommendations. Federal  Practitioner. 2018 Feb;35(2):28–33. PMCID: PMC6248224  PMID: 30766340.
7. Ms. Seerat Arora, Dr. Rita Kumar. Postpartum Psychosis with Comorbid Anxiety and the Impact of Life Events: A Case Report. The International Journal of Indian Psychology . Volume 12, Issue 4, October - December, 2024 DIP: 18.01.184.20241204, DOI: 10.25215/1204.184 . Available on https://www.ijip.in
8. American Psychiatric Association. DSM-5 Task Force (2017). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 (Fifth ed.). New Delhi: American Psychiatric Association Publishing. ISBN 978-93-86217-96-7. OCLC 1030754444.
9. Rodriguez-Cabezas L, Clark C (September 2018). "Psychiatric Emergencies in Pregnancy and Postpartum". Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. 61 (3): 615–627. 
10. Osborne LM (September 2018). "Recognizing and Managing Postpartum Psychosis: A Clinical Guide for Obstetric Providers". Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 45 (3): 455–468.  
11. Hutner LA, Catapano LA, Nagle-Yang SM, Williams KE, Osborne LM, eds. (2021). Textbook of Women's Reproductive Mental Health. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association Publishing. ISBN 978-1-61537-386-4. OCLC 1289371393.
12. D Sit, AJ Rothschild, KL Wisner.  A review of postpartum psychosis. 2006 .Journal of women's health, Available at 2006 - journals.sagepub.com.