It is recognised that maternal mental illness may have a number of potentially deleterious effects on infant development and, although there are a number of potential pathways to such outcomes, disturbance of mother-infant interaction has been hypothesised to be one significant variable. This study specifically examines the role that disturbance of mental state of mothers with a postpartum schizophrenic illness plays in determining the quality of mother-infant interactions. We examined the relationship between the nature and severity of maternal symptomatology and the quality of her interactions with her infant in a sample of 15 mother-infant dyads admitted to a psychiatric Mother-Baby Unit. Data were obtained at admission and discharge.

Analysis of the results supported the two research hypotheses: i.e. that the severity of psychopathology in mothers with a postpartum schizophrenic illness correlates with the severity of disturbance of mother-infant interaction, and that a change in the severity of psychopathology correlates with a change in the quality of interactions.

Mothers with florid psychotic symptoms and prominent negative symptoms of schizophrenia and their infants were identified as being at particular risk of displaying disturbed interactions. The adverse contribution of negative symptoms was often not evident until after the positive symptoms had resolved. Given that negative symptoms are often treatment resistant and slow to change, optimal care of schizophrenic mothers and their infants needs to involve ongoing therapeutic interventions which specifically address disturbance of mother-infant interaction. The clinical significance of these findings is further elaborated upon.