Risk of interpersonal violence during and after pregnancy among people with schizophrenia: a population-based cohort study

Abstract

Schizophrenia is associlinked clinical registry data to evaluate were equally likely to be screened for ated with increased risk of experiencing interpersonal violence screening and interpersonal violence (74.3% v. 73.8%; interpersonal violence. Little is known selfreported interpersonal violence duradjusted RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.95–1.04), but about risk specifically around the time of ing pregnancy. more likely to selfreport it (10.2% v. pregnancy. 2.4%; adjusted RR 3.38, 95% CI 2.61–Results: We included 1802645 pregnant 4.38), compared with those without Methods: This populationbased cohort people, 4470 of whom had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Among patients who did study included all individuals (aged schizophrenia. Overall, 137 (3.1%) of not selfreport interpersonal violence, 15–49 yr) listed as female on their health those with schizophrenia had a perinatal schizophrenia was associated with an cards who had a singleton birth in ED visit for interpersonal violence, comincreased risk for a perinatal ED visit for Ontario, Canada, between 2004 and pared with 7598 (0.4%) of those without interpersonal violence (4.0% v. 0.4%; 2018. We compared those with and withschizophrenia, for an RR of 6.88 (95% adjusted RR 6.28, 95% CI 3.94–10.00). out schizophrenia on their risk of an confidence interval [CI] 5.66–8.37) and emergency department (ED) visit for an adjusted RR of 3.44 (95% CI 2.86–Interpretation: Pregnancy and postinterpersonal violence in pregnancy or 4.15). Results were similar when calcupartum are periods of higher risk for within 1 year postpartum. We adjusted lated separately for the pregnancy interpersonal violence among people relative risks (RRs) for demographics, (adjusted RR 3.47, 95% CI 2.68–4.51) with schizophrenia compared with those prepregnancy history of substance use period and the first year postpartum without schizophrenia. Pregnancy is a disorder and history of interpersonal vio(adjusted RR 3.45, 95% CI 2.75–4.33). key period for implementing violence lence. In a subcohort analysis, we used Pregnant people with schizophrenia prevention strategies in this population.