20,000

children are born through ART in the UK each year

Cohort characteristics

This study intends to explore the psychiatric morbidity of those receiving ART — exploring the numbers and experiences of people with specific diagnoses of severe mental illness (SMI) receiving ART, compared to those with SMI who have conceived naturally.

Describing the risk factors of ART and SMI

This study aims to explore the risk of SMI following ART. It is hypothesised that ART will not increase the risk of SMI overall. However, those with a more recent episode of SMI prior to ART (within 5 years) may have increased vulnerability to SMI after birth — making this an important area for research regarding screening procedures prior to treatment.

Risk associated with postpartum psychosis (PPP)

This study aims to explore the risk of postpartum psychosis following ART compared to natural conception. It is hypothesised that women who undertake ART are at increased risk of PPP — and that any marked increase in prevalence is attributable to confounding variables such as maternal characteristics and ART-associated post-pregnancy complications, rather than the treatments themselves.

Investigating treatment outcomes for those with a prior diagnosis of psychosis

This study investigates the impact of a historic SMI diagnosis on the success of ART treatment outcomes, identified through the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) database. Outcomes including number of cycles and successful pregnancy will be explored. It is hypothesised that women with SMI prior to ART treatment would have poorer treatment outcomes than those without.