Intrusive Thoughts & Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in the Perinatal Period

Intrusive Thoughts & Obssessive-Compulsive Disorder in the Perinatal Period

Intrusive thoughts are often negative, scary or confronting ideas or images that pop into our heads when we don’t want them to be there. 100% of new mothers report unwanted, intrusive thoughts of harming their infant by accident, and 50% report unwanted, intrusive thoughts of harming their infant on purpose. We all have intrusive thoughts, but these are increased during the perinatal period and can be very distressing. Many parents report feeling as though they are alone in this experience.

Working with parents with intrusive thoughts or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), whether in the context of maternity care, maternal and child health care or psychological therapy, can be very confronting and anxiety provoking for health professionals.

This full day workshop aims to boost your knowledge and confidence in this area so that you can respond in a regulated and helpful way.

At the end of this training you will be able to:

• Describe the facts about intrusive thoughts and OCD including the core symptoms, prevalence, aeitology, risk factors, impacts to the parent-infant attachment relationship, and obstetric outcomes
• Assess the risk for both parent and infant safety
• Describe evidence-based assessment measures and tools
• Describe evidence-based best-practice treatment approaches and specific interventions in the context of perinatal specific factors and the parent-infant dyad
• Be aware of common professional-client relationship considerations where the client presents with intrusive thoughts or OCD

This course is suitable for any perinatal health professional wanting to get a better understanding of the nature of intrusive thoughts and OCD and an overview of applicable assessment and treatment approaches.