# The treatment experiences of women with perinatal OCD on Mother and Baby Units: qualitative investigation of the perspectives of women and professionals

## TL;DR

This study explores the experiences of women with perinatal OCD and healthcare professionals on Mother and Baby Units, identifying challenges and suggesting improvements for treatment.

## Contribution

The study is the first to qualitatively investigate pOCD treatment on Mother and Baby Units and proposes clinical guidelines and training for professionals.

## Key findings

- MBUs are often seen as a last resort for treating pOCD.
- Collaboration between patients and professionals is crucial for treatment success.
- Specific training for MBU staff is recommended to better support women with pOCD.

## Abstract

Perinatal obsessive–compulsive disorder (pOCD) is a common mental health difficulty. For some women with pOCD, a psychiatric in-patient admission is deemed necessary. In the UK, Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) are currently best practice for in-patient admission in the perinatal period. Wider OCD literature and pOCD case studies suggest the MBU environment may pose challenges to the treatment of pOCD.

To date, there has been no research exploring pOCD on MBUs, therefore, this study aimed to qualitatively explore women and professionals’ experiences of pOCD on MBUs.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight women who self-identified as having experienced pOCD and an admission to an MBU, and ten professionals who had experience working with women with pOCD on MBUs. Interviews took place virtually and were recorded and transcribed. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Six themes were identified. (a) ‘MBU a last resort for OCD’, (b) ‘Developing a shared understanding of OCD’, (c) ‘A whole team approach to treatment’, (d) ‘Choice and control over exposure’, (e) ‘Ward as a safety net’ and (f) ‘Transitioning back to real life’.

The research highlighted a number of challenges in providing treatment for pOCD in this environment and suggestions are made for the development of clinical guidelines for supporting women with pOCD and designing specific training for MBU professionals.