Study reveals the overlooked mental health challenges faced by new parents

Intrusive thoughts and psychotic-like experiences among new parents are far more common than previously thought - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

A study published today reveals the mental health challenges faced by both mums and dads in the first year after childbirth.

The team hope their work will lead to greater awareness, early screening, and accessible mental health support for all parents, not just those with diagnosed conditions.

Lead researcher Dr Jo Hodgekins, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: "The perinatal period is a time of huge change for parents, and previous research has shown that more than one in five mothers experience mental health challenges during this time.

"Challenges like sleep deprivation, stress, and hormonal changes can all take a toll on the mental health of new parents.

"Most research to date has focused on depression and anxiety because they're so common. But we wanted to look beyond that and explore the wider range of mental health experiences parents face.

How the research happened

The research team recruited participants via parenting sites including Mumsnet, Netmums, Dads Matter UK, and social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,

A total of 349 parents, who had had a baby within the past 12 months, took part in an anonymous online survey.

Key findings:

• 96 per cent of participants reported experiencing at least one intrusive thought - for example unwanted, distressing ideas or images.
• 89 per cent reported at least one psychotic-like experience, such as fleeting paranoia or unusual perceptions.
• Nearly 31 per cent were considered "at-risk" for developing psychosis based on their reported symptoms.
• Male parents reported more intrusive thoughts, greater parenting stress, and higher levels of depression and anxiety than female parents.

"Male parents may experience these symptoms due to sleep deprivation, heightened stress, and the psychological adjustment to new responsibilities and identity as a father," said Dr Hodgekins.

"But this result might be skewed by the fact that the vast majority of the participants, around 90 per cent, were female. It would certainly be interesting to focus on recruiting more male participants in future research."

The study highlights that these experiences are not only widespread but often deeply distressing, with symptoms strongly linked to lower parenting confidence, higher stress, and increased depression and anxiety - suggesting a ripple effect on family wellbeing.

"We found that psychotic-like experiences and intrusive thoughts are common among new parents. For a significant minority, these experiences cause severe distress, which is linked to higher parenting stress and lower perceived competence and satisfaction."

"Our work highlights the need to normalise some of these experiences for new parents, reducing stigma and raising awareness so that conversations can be opened up about them.

"Intrusive thoughts and psychotic-like experiences don't always mean there's a clinical disorder, but they're common and can seriously affect parenting, so they deserve attention."

"However, we also need to go beyond normalisation, by providing tailored and targeted support for those who find such experiences distressing, to improve mental health and parenting outcomes."

'Postnatal Intrusive Thoughts and Psychotic-Like Experiences: Exploring Associations with Parenting Experiences and Mental Health' is published in the Community Mental Health Journal.