Psychotische und nicht psychotische Verleugnung der Schwangerschaft

Abstract

We report about two patients with denial of pregnancy. While the first patient was free of psychopathological symptoms besides denial of pregnancy until rupture of the membranes, and was able to accomodate the new born, the second patient with psychotic denial of pregnancy could not accomodate the child because of the schizophrenia, so that an adoption was necessary. On the basis of the two cases aetiological, epidemiological, clinical und prognostic implications of psychotic and non-psychotic denial of pregnancy are discussed.

Psychological aspects of pregnancy denial in a 13-year-old girl

“…In addition to the casuistry studies of Lieb et al [6] we have found some differentiating personality traits that support the psychodynamic model of denied pregnancy [21] due to mental defence mechanisms, repression and projective identification.…”

“…The proportion of affected women below the age of 30 years is extremely low (1,75 % in living born infants) [5], so that the presented case of a 13-year old mother constitutes a rarity. Neither casuistries [6][7][8] nor studies with larger sample sizes [2,9,10] reveal specific evidence for underlying personality profiles or specific living conditions that had been suggested in previous research [11,12]. In one study [10], the following predictors of pregnancy denial reached statistical significance: "early and late phase of reproduction (age <18 and >35 years), "no migration background", "unstable relationship" and "critical social situation".…”

Onkologische Erkrankung und Verleugnung einer Schwangerschaft: Psychologische Begleitung und interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit

“…Dementsprechend gibt es keine spezifischen Überlegungen zum Therapievorgehen, obwohl die Konsequenzen für Mutter und Kind dramatisch sein können (ungeplante Hausgeburt, in Ausnahmefällen Tötung des Neugeborenen). Es existieren lediglich Empfehlungen zum Umgang mit den Patientinnen wie ein vorurteilsfreies und multidisziplinäres Herangehen und supportive psychotherapeutische Begleitung [6,8].…”