Preconception parental personality disorder and psychosocial outcomes during the perinatal period: a prospective population-based study

Claire A Wilson¹, Hanafi Mohamad Husin², S Ghazaleh Dashti³, Raquel Catalao⁴, Rohan Borschmann^{5

6

7}, Stephanie Brown⁸, Louise M Howard⁸, Jessica A Kerr^{2

9

10}, Jonathan Monk-Cunliffe¹¹, Paul Moran¹¹, George C Patton⁵, Craig A Olsson^#^{5

12}, Elizabeth Spry^#^{5

12}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. claire.1.wilson@kcl.ac.uk.
² Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
³ Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit and Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust and Section of Women's Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
⁵ Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁸ Section of Women's Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
⁹ Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
¹⁰ Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago Christchurch, Melbourne, Australia.
¹¹ Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Science Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
¹² Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Geelong, Australia.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 40730700
DOI: 10.1007/s00127-025-02968-3

Preconception parental personality disorder and psychosocial outcomes during the perinatal period: a prospective population-based study

Claire A Wilson et al. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2025.

. 2025 Jul 29.

doi: 10.1007/s00127-025-02968-3. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. claire.1.wilson@kcl.ac.uk.
² Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
³ Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit and Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust and Section of Women's Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
⁵ Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁸ Section of Women's Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
⁹ Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
¹⁰ Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago Christchurch, Melbourne, Australia.
¹¹ Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Science Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
¹² Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Geelong, Australia.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 40730700
DOI: 10.1007/s00127-025-02968-3

Abstract

Purpose: Birthing individuals with personality disorder in young adulthood before pregnancy may be at increased risk of potentially modifiable adverse outcomes in the perinatal period that impact parental and child health. We aimed to investigate the perinatal psychosocial outcomes of preconception (prior to pregnancy) personality disorder.

Methods: Prospective analysis of 398 birthing individuals with 609 infants from Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study (VIHCS). Preconception personality disorder was measured using the Standardised Assessment of Personality (SAP) at age 24. A range of parental outcomes were assessed during pregnancy and at one year postpartum (age 28 to 37). Log-binomial generalised estimating equations were used to estimate univariable associations between preconception personality disorder and each perinatal outcome.

Results: Individuals with preconception personality disorder (compared to those without) were approximately two times more likely to have antenatal anxiety symptoms (risk ratio (RR) 2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-3.65) and reduced social support (antenatal RR 2.01, 95% CI 0.98-4.13; postnatal RR 1.38, 95% CI 0.91-2.10). Weaker associations were also observed for experiencing stressful life events (RR 1.37, 95% CI 0.98-1.90) and, albeit with less certainty, for poorer partner relationship quality (RR 1.44, 95% CI 0.78-2.64) and depressive symptoms (antenatal RR 1.56, 95% CI 0.84-2.91; postnatal RR 1.44, 95% CI 0.73-2.83). Close to null associations were observed for parents' self-efficacy or perceived parent-infant bond.

Conclusion: The findings highlight a group who may be vulnerable to multiple adverse perinatal outcomes; those with personality disorder and their families may benefit from additional support both with pregnancy planning and into parenthood.

Keywords: Mental health; Perinatal; Personality disorder; Preconception; Social support.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: One of the authors is on the journal’s Editorial Board. RB is on the journal’s Editorial Board. Ethical approval: Participants’ parents or guardians provided informed written consent for VAHCS and participants provided informed verbal consent for VIHCS. Study protocols were approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne (VAHCS 21009/33168 and VIHCS 26032).

References

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Preconception parental personality disorder and psychosocial outcomes during the perinatal period: a prospective population-based study

Affiliations

Preconception parental personality disorder and psychosocial outcomes during the perinatal period: a prospective population-based study

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

References

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Miscellaneous