Study Finds - A study published in the Community Mental Health Journal found that 96% of new parents experience at least one intrusive thought during the 12 months following their baby’s birth. Nearly 91% reported that these thoughts caused them distress. The most common intrusive thought, as noted by 93.4% of participants, was the fear that their baby might stop breathing. But the researchers also found that 46% of parents had thoughts about screaming at, shaking, or slapping their baby, and nearly 9% experienced thoughts about intentionally drowning their infant.
The findings come from a survey of 349 UK-based parents conducted by researchers at the University of East Anglia and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. Lead researcher Dr. Jo Hodgekins and her colleagues wanted to explore not just how common these experiences are, but how distressing they feel to the parents who have them.
Intrusive Thoughts Are Not Intentions
Intrusive thoughts are unpleasant, unwanted mental images or ideas that pop into a person’s head without warning. They are not wishes or intentions, and having them does not mean a parent poses any risk to their child. ...
In this study, 94% of parents said these thoughts occurred every single day. Nearly 63% felt the thoughts interfered with their daily functioning, and only 13.5% felt they had complete control over them.
Ninety-five percent of parents engaged in at least one coping behavior, with reassurance-seeking being the most common at 95.4%. About 80% said they would feel distressed if unable to perform their coping strategies, and 54% felt these behaviors interfered with daily life.
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