Suicide in pregnancy: the Hedda Gabler syndrome

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1979 Summer;9(2):105-15.

Abstract

A review of forty-seven suicides in women of child-bearing age revealed that two women were pregnant, two were within the first year post-partum and two falsely believed themselves pregnant. The search revealed two additional pregnancy-associated suicides which had not been reported as suicide. Previous studies asserting that pregnancy protects against suicide would seem to be challenged by these data. Pregnancy-related suicides are similar to each other and to the literary suicide of Hedda Gabler and fit into a continuum of pregnancy-related disorders.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications*
  • Pregnancy Trimester, Second
  • Pregnancy Trimester, Third
  • Pseudopregnancy / complications*
  • Puerperal Disorders / psychology
  • Suicide / epidemiology*
  • Suicide / psychology
  • Suicide, Attempted / epidemiology
  • Syndrome