The role of poor perinatal sleep quality in predicting and describing postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder
department or school: Medicine, Faculty of
department or school: Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Stagg, Bryn
issued: 2025-10-31T07:00:00Z
issued: 2024
related degree: Master of Science - MSc
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety-related mental health condition characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions), and repetitive behaviours (compulsions). OCD is experienced by as many as 17% of postpartum gestational people, with obsessional content frequently involving distressing thoughts of harm related to one’s newborn. OCD is associated with sleep disturbances in non-perinatal populations. Despite the common occurrence of poor perinatal sleep, there are no published studies of perinatal sleep predicting postpartum OC symptoms. The purpose of this research is to assess reduced perinatal sleep quality as a predictor of postpartum OCD. Methodology: This research utilizes data from a prospective cohort study of pregnant people in the province of British Columbia. Questionnaires and interviews were administered once during pregnancy (33 weeks) and twice postpartum (9 weeks and 20 weeks), and assessed sleep quality, symptoms, and diagnostic status of OCD. Linear regression and mixed-effects models explored the predictive ability of sleep on postpartum OC symptoms. Mann-Whitney U Tests were conducted to analyze differences in concurrent sleep quality based on OCD diagnosis and the experience of thoughts of intentional infant-related harm. Results: In final models, poor prenatal sleep quality remained a moderate predictor of more severe postpartum OC symptoms across regression (β = 0.12, 95% CI [0.03, 0.21], p =.01; β = 0.14, 95% CI [0.01, 0.27], p = .04) and mixed-effects models (β = 0.23, 95% CI [0.03, 0.43], p = .02). Birthing individuals meeting criteria for postpartum OCD experienced significantly poorer concurrent sleep quality at both postpartum timepoints (Z = -2.03, p = .04; Z = -2.09, p = .04), although only participants experiencing UITs of intentional harm in the later postpartum experienced worse concurrent sleep quality (Z = -4.21, p <.001). Discussion: Findings provide insight into the etiology and experience of p…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/89565
note: THE ROLE OF POOR PERINATAL SLEEP QUALITY IN PREDICTING AND DESCRIBING POSTPARTUM OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER by Bryn Stagg B.Sc., The University of Calgary, 2019 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) October 2024 © Bryn Stagg, 2024 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the thesis entitled: The role of poor perinatal sleep quality in predicting and describing postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder submitted by Bryn Stagg in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences Examining Committee: Dr. Gillian Hanley, Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, UBC Co-supervisor Dr. Nichole Fairbrother, Associate Professor, Department of Family Practice, UBC Co-supervisor Dr. Sheila Woody, Professor, Department of Psychology, UBC Additional Examiner Additional Supervisory Committee Members: Dr. Benicio Frey, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, Associate Professor, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, UBC Supervisory Committee Member iii Abstract Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety-related mental health condition characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions), and repetitive behaviours (compulsions). OCD is experienced by as many as 17% of postpartum gestational people, with obsessional content frequently involving distressing thoughts of harm related to one’s newborn. OCD is associated with sleep disturbances in non-perinatal populations. Despite the common occurrence of poor perinatal sleep, there are no pub…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2025-05
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0447150
language: eng
degree discipline: Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Hanley, Gillian E.
contributor: Fairbrother, Nichole
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89565