The Mysteries of Postpartum OCD: A Systematic Review

Authors

• Taryn Shaffer, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Dr. Kathryn Holland, Department of Psychology and Women's and Gender Studies

Date of this Version

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

Shaffer, T. 2026. The Mysteries of Postpartum OCD: A Systematic Review. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Comments

Copyright Taryn Shaffer, 2026.

Abstract

Background: The research on postpartum mental health is growing, with most focusing on physical and sexual wellness, or well-known mental health symptoms such as psychosis, depression, and stress. However, as the research grows, so does the interest in lesser-known or under-considered postpartum mental health symptoms, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The focus of this research can be the exacerbation of already-present OCD symptoms, or the onset of them during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze research on OCD in pregnant and postpartum women. Specifically, the review included an analysis of measures used to assess OCD in pregnant and postpartum women, treatments used to address symptoms in pregnant and postpartum women with an OCD diagnosis, and the major purposes of the existing research of OCD in pregnant and postpartum women. Method: A search using APA PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and Academic Search Premier. Peer reviewed research articles were pulled and reviewed from searches of key words “obsessive-compulsive disorder,” “pregnant,” and “women”. Samples of pregnant women with obsessive-compulsive symptoms or a diagnosis were required for articles to be selected for this analysis. A total of 67 articles were reviewed, and 26 fit the criteria for the analysis. Results: The review of these articles found many common themes, with the most used measures for assessment of OCD being the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I), neither of which were created to measure OCD in pregnant or postpartum women specifically. The most common treatment among the research was medications such as clomipramine. The most common purpose across the research was to examine the onset patterns of OCD during pregnancy and in the postpartum months Conclusion: The major takeaway from this analysis is that there are still large gaps in research on OCD in pregnant and postpartum women. Many new measurements of OCD tailored to assess pregnant and postpartum women specifically, as well as treatments that are accessible for these women, are still needed. More research can be done to create, assess, and reimagine these measurements and treatments until new and improved tools are created.