Infanticide and its relationship with postpartum psychosis: a critical interpretive synthesis

PurposeThis study aims to synthesise the available literature on the phenomenon of infanticide within the context of postpartum psychosis from a novel perspective using critical interpretive synthesis (CIS). The study placed its focus on the environmental aspects involved in the phenomenon of postpartum psychosis where the outcome was infanticide, as well as the chosen method of inflicting death.Design/methodology/approachCIS is a reviewing method that synthesises existing literature into a coherent frame with the exploration of literature at its core. CIS results in a natural critique of the body of literature and was critical to the study and its findings. The study ultimately found five synthetic constructs related to environmental aspects and method of inflicting death.FindingsThese included prior psychiatric history and care, demographics of perpetrators, perceptions on motherhood, profile on victims such as age and the method of death and, finally, the presence of “warning behaviour”. Reflections on the current state of the literature formed an important part of the study and enabled the authors to make recommendations for future research.Research limitations/implicationsThe age of the literature acts as a limitation to the study, there is a need for updated to research to inform our current historical context. In addition, most of the included studies was based in developed countries which may impact on generalisability. The aim of he study was not to include an exhaustive body of literature, thus other relevant literature may have not been included. Some included studies did not solely focus on the concept of infanticide within the context of postpartum psychosis. Although efforts were made to ensure rigour, it is accepted that different researchers may come to different conclusion in inherently qualitative means of enquiry such as CIS. These included prior psychiatric history and care, demographics of perpetrators, perceptions on motherhood, profile on victims such as age and the method of death and, finally, the presence of “warning behaviour”. Reflections on the current state of the literature formed an important part of the study and enabled the authors to make recommendations for future research.Originality/valueThe study has not been published previously and all sources are credited. This study made a contribution by indicating important misconceptions about motherhood and the demography associated with infanticide in postpartum psychosis. It