Tokophobia is a specific and harrowing condition that needs acknowledging. Close liaison between the obstetrician and the psychiatrist in order to assess the balance between surgical and psychiatric morbidity is imperative with tokophobia.

Pregnancy is a major life event for all women. However, when a psychiatric disorder is added to or exacerbated by the pregnancy then the problem requires expert knowledge from more than one area of medicine. This paper looks at pregnancy and the relationship with depression, eating disorders, and pathological fear of childbirth or tokophobia. It also examines the outcome for these women and their babies. Mental illness is a serious concern. It is now recognised that death from suicide is the leading cause of maternal death overall. Research in these areas is relatively sparse but an attempt is made to collate what is known.

No abstract

Pregnancy and childbirth is a major life process for women. However, the conception, pregnancy, and postnatal period are influenced by the woman's personality, experience, and sexuality. Ambivalence to aspects of the puerperium is inevitable. If a woman suffers a psychiatric disorder in addition, she will need coordinated liaison between professionals working with her. If a feature of pregnancy is fear of childbirth, she may request a cesarean section (CS) without medical indication. Fear of pregnancy and childbirth are documented features of eating disorders, mood disorders, and pathologic dread and avoidance of childbirth, or tocophobia. Depression in Pregnancy and Following ChildbirthDepression is as common in pregnancy as in the postnatal period and affects 10% of women. 1 Postnatal depression affects the whole family. Neglect, family breakdown, self-harm, and suicide are reported. Emotional or behavioral problems and cognitive delays in childhood are also documented. 2 Depressed mood in pregnancy has been associated with poor attendance at antenatal clinic, substance misuse, low birth weight babies, and preterm delivery. Psychopathological symptoms during pregnancy have

Reports of gender differences amongst arsonists at psychiatric assessment are not uncommon, however some are based on relatively small samples. A new retrospective study highlighting gender differences could help to confirm or refute the current state of knowledge. The aim of the current study was to examine gender differences amongst a sample of 167 adult arsonists (129 males and 38 females). Information was collected from clinical records on sociodemographic, family background and childhood factors; adult adjustment; fire setting history; motives; features of pyromania and other offending, from the case notes of a group of arsonists referred to the West Midlands Psychiatry Service over a 24-year period. Female arsonists were older than males and more likely to have a psychiatric diagnosis. Women more frequently had a history of sexual abuse, while men had a more varied criminal background and more substance abuse problems. Our findings largely support previous research, and are discussed in this context, whilst also bringing attention to a more recently developed theory (Action System Model). Significant gender differences amongst arsonists indicates that different emphases in the treatment of male and female arsonists may be advisable, though a reliable evidence base for treatment has yet to be established.