December 3, 2025

expert reaction to study on perinatal experiences and mental health among new parents

A study published in Community Mental Health Journal looks at perinatal experiences and mental health among new parents. 

Dr Kyla Vaillancourt, a chartered member of the British Psychological Society and Clinical Psychologist, said:

“The incidence of intrusive thoughts reported in this study is consistent with the broader literature, although the recruitment method (via internet and social media) likely explains the higher levels of distress observed in this sample. Those who responded could be more concerned about their mental health or more motivated to share their experiences, and this differs from other studies where parents are recruited from routine hospital settings. It is important that these findings are not taken out of context; the psychotic-like experiences measured here differ from postpartum psychosis, which is a rare and serious, but treatable condition.

“This study may suggest a need for greater public awareness about intrusive thoughts and unusual experiences in the postnatal period and a need for health professionals to know how to appropriately respond to distress related to these experiences. Sensitive, well-informed information and responses from health professionals can reduce distress and increase the likelihood that parents who need extra support will seek help and access it.”

Dr Atheeshaan Arumuham, Academic Clinical Fellow, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, said:

“This study reveals that intrusive thoughts and psychotic-like experiences are surprisingly common among new parents, and often deeply distressing. Researchers surveyed nearly 350 parents in the first year after birth and found that over 90% reported distressing intrusive thoughts, such as fears of accidental harm to their baby, and almost 90% experienced psychotic-like experiences, including unusual perceptions or paranoid ideas. While experiences don’t necessarily mean a parent is mentally ill, they can be deeply distressing and linked to higher stress, lower confidence, and more depression and anxiety. The findings highlight the need for screening and support in the postnatal period, not just for depression, but for a wider range of mental health challenges.

“However, the research also shows why we need to build on these findings. Because the study relied on self-reported data from an online survey, it may overrepresent parents already struggling with mental health concerns. Also, as the data were collected at one time point, it is difficult to interpret the progression of these experiences and whether they can predict later illness. 

“Future studies should track parents over time, and recruit participants through healthcare settings to help capture a more representative sample. Doing so will help clinicians distinguish between common, transient symptoms and those that signal a need for intervention. Collecting a more representative sample with richer demographic data can also clarify how sociocultural factors shape these experiences.”

Prof Carmine Pariante, Professor of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, said:

“The study brings attention to the level of distress experienced by both mothers and fathers in the perinatal period, and to the important relationship between mental health problems and difficulties in developing competence as parents. The large proportion of fathers describing mental health and parenting difficulties is also consistent with the current societal concerns with male mental health, and points to the perinatal period as a time where fathers might seek help.

“However, the actual magnitude of the reported phenomena is likely to be amplified by the study design, as this is a survey that asked for people interested in talking about experiences of ‘postnatal unwanted thoughts and unusual experiences’ and as such is likely to attract more people with these complaints when compared with a larger and epidemiologically-based study. We know already that intrusive thoughts and fleeting hallucinations are common in the perinatal period, due to a combination of stress, sleep deprivation and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and therefore this survey broadly confirms this notion. Some of the more alarming conclusions, like that almost all parents have intrusive thoughts and a third are considered at risk of developing psychosis, should be taken with great caution, because of the aforementioned limitations of the study design.”

Dr Claire Wilson, NIHR Advanced Fellow and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, King’s College London (KCL), said:

“‘The mental health of parents is critical to building healthy and resilient families. Intrusive thoughts and psychotic-like experiences are common and their true frequency among new parents is difficult to ascertain from this study due to the way in which parents were recruited to participate, which may have over-estimated their frequency. What is significant is that so many parents found these symptoms distressing and the negative impact that it had on their perceived abilities as a parent. This is because distress and impairment in functioning are some of the criteria for a mental illness, which requires prompt identification and treatment in order to mitigate the potentially devasting impact that it can have on families. The study reminds those of us who support all new and expectant parents of the importance of using every opportunity to ask about these experiences. The authors rightly assert that more in-depth research is required to better understand these experiences among new parents, particularly fathers, who were relatively under-represented.”

‘Postnatal Intrusive Thoughts and Psychotic-Like Experiences: Exploring Associations with Parenting Experiences and Mental Health’ by Dr Jo Hodgekins et al. was published in Community Mental Health Journal at 00:01 UK time on Wednesday 3rd December. 

Declared interests

Dr Atheeshaan Arumuham:  I am a trustee at a charity called Gaming the Mind, which is focussed on the intersection of mental health and video games.

Prof Carmine Pariante: None

Dr Claire Wilson: I declare no conflicts of interest.

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.