Mothers and Children in Hospital

Abstract

Between 1965–1972 244 individual mothers were admitted on 283 occasions accompanied by 287 children to a general hospital unit. This cohort has been followed up to ascertain re-admission to any New Zealand psychiatric facility for two follow-ups at 1–8 years and 5–12 years. A postal survey of attitudes was also carried out. The content of the replies has been analysed, with statistical and anecdotal accounts of patients' and husbands' expressed feelings and attitudes. These are compared with observations in the literature about themes of hostility and anxiety. The circumstances surrounding the homicide of a baby in this series together with our various rationalisations, value judgements and assessment of the situations are described.