P~cbologicalReports, 1992, 70, 51-56. O Psychological Reports 1992 COCAINE USE AND POST PARTUM PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS DANIEL R. NEUSPIEL SARA C. HAMEL Departments of Pediatrics and Department of Pediatrics Epidemiology and Social Medicine Alber! Einskin College of Medicine Sirmmary.-The association of mental health symptoms with cocaine use was studied among post partum women. Gestational cocaine use was determined by confi- dential interview or urine assay. A structured Psychiatric Symptom lndex was used to measure mental health symptoms. Among 155 women, 24 (15%) used cocaine. Co- caine-using women had less education, higher parity, less we~ght gm during pregnan- cy, and used more cigarettes, marijuana, and opiates in pregnancy than nonusers. High frequency of symptoms (standardized Psychiatric Symptom Index score 2 2 0 ) was found In 71% of women for the Total Index score, 81% on depression, 61% on anxi- ety, 36% on cognitive disturbance, and 75% on anger. No differences in Psychiatric Symprorn Index Total or factor scores were associated with cocaine use. Cocaine use has increased among women of child-bearing age in the past decade. Cocaine-using women may be at greater risk of psychological disturbance, especially depression (Griffin, Weiss, Mirin, & Lange, 1989). Pregnancy and the puerperiurn are associated with a high prevalence of de- pressive symptoms, with 50 to 80% of women reporting "maternity blues" and 7 to 30% demonstrating clinical depression during this period (Hopkins, Marcus, & Campbell, 1984). We studied the prevalence of psychological symptoms in a population of postpartum women and the association of these symptoms with cocaine use. METHOD Sample Selection This study used a cross-sectional design. Mothers were recruited from December 1988 through June 1989 from the post parturn floor at a public hospital. Mothers were excluded if they spoke limited English, had a psycho- sis or physical illness during the post parturn period precluding an interview, had moderate or severe mental retardation, or were not planning to keep the baby. Mothers were also excluded if their infants were of <ZOO0 grams This research was su orted, indart, by grants from the Preventive Intervention Research ;enter for Chdd ~ e a l % of the m E~nstelnCollege of Medicine (AECOM) under Grant No. P50MH38280 from the Branch for Preventive Research, NIMH; the AECOM Department of Pediatrics; and the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health (Training Program in Behavioral Pediatrics, Grant No. MCJ009096). We thank Virginia Templeton and the staff of the Pre- ventive Intervention Research Center for Child Health of AECOM. This manuscript was pre- ;ented, in part, at the American Public Health Association, New York City, October 1, 1990. Address correspondence to D. R. Neuspiel, M.D., M.P.H., NCBH 4M-08, 3424 Kossuth Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467.