Women diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) – a condition which causes extreme or persistent morning sickness during pregnancy – face a significantly higher risk of mental health problems.
New research from King’s College London found they are more than 50% more likely to experience mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression or PTSD.
For Leeds mother, Samantha Harrison (not her real name), those findings hit close to home.
Her 2023 pregnancy left her unable to eat, drink, or even stand most smells.
“I couldn’t tolerate anything, not food, not smells, not even laundry detergent or perfume,” she said. “It was very early on, in the first trimester, when I realised this was more than normal sickness.”
A rare and severe illness
Mrs Harrison was later diagnosed with HG, a rare form of pregnancy sickness that affects around one in 100 women and can cause dehydration, malnutrition and weight loss.
“I just assumed that I had some sort of stomach ulcer,” she said. “Then I found out I was pregnant, and all of a sudden I couldn’t tolerate anything. I was almost vomiting out acid.”
She added: “I couldn’t keep anything down for more than maybe 20 seconds. Even water wasn’t helping me.”
Although her symptoms were severe, Mrs Harrison said she was never admitted to hospital. “I thought something was wrong with me. I didn’t know what was happening,” she said. “No one really talks about this unless you go to someone who knows what Hyperemesis is.”
Charlotte Howden, Chief Executive of the UK charity Pregnancy Sickness Support, said HG is widely misunderstood. “Hyperemesis Gravidarum is not ‘just morning sickness’ – it’s a debilitating condition that leaves women fighting for proper care and support,” she said.
HG’s physical effects are often matched by its mental toll. Research shows that almost half of women with HG experience depression and anxiety during pregnancy.
“I unfortunately became extremely depressed. I lost my identity,” Mrs Harrison said. “I stopped working at around the third month of my pregnancy and I didn’t go back until after the birth.”
“It got to a stage where I couldn’t even shower because I was vomiting nine or ten times a day,” she added. “Even stepping into my garden made me sick. I couldn’t tolerate the air outside.”
“I became extremely depressed. I lost my identity.”
The lasting mental health impact
The King’s College London study, released in September 2025, found women with HG were more than 50% more likely to develop mental health problems. Researchers said early recognition and psychological support are key to recovery.
“When I became depressed, I lost who I was,” Mrs Harrison said. “There were feelings that I didn’t want to be here. It felt like the pregnancy was never going to end. I then suffered from post-natal depression too. I became very isolated, very lonely.”
Dr Thomas Pollak, Clinical Reader and Consultant Neuropsychiatrist at King’s College London, said the link between HG and mental-health struggles is well-established.
“HG can be associated with severe psychiatric disorders that require urgent recognition and joined-up physical and mental healthcare from the very start of pregnancy,” he said.
Finding help in Leeds
After reaching out for support, Mrs Harrison was referred to local services. “I was part of this group called Baby Steps,” she said.
“Then I got referred to a private group called Diverse Mums Group, and then I was referred to Live Well Leeds. Currently, I’m under Leeds Mental Health Wellbeing for CBT.”
She said the services “made a big difference” and helped her begin to recover. “Once I started therapy, I realised I wasn’t alone,” she said.
At her lowest point, Mrs Harrison said she considered terminating her pregnancy.
“I did think I couldn’t continue with the pregnancy,” she said. “But as a Muslim, it’s against our religion to do any form of suicide or harm the baby unless there’s something medically wrong. I was terrified, but I reached out for help.”
“I did think I couldn’t continue”
She said her husband found the situation difficult to understand at first. “When he realised how bad it was, he didn’t really understand – it was a learning thing for both of us,” she said. “He took me out for walks and talked to me, which helped, but I still felt quite lonely because he worked night shifts.”
Her experience reflects findings from a Flinders University study, which found that over half of women with HG considered ending their pregnancy, while nine in ten said it affected their decision to have more children. Other research has found that a third of women with HG considered ending their own life.
“I would like to have another child,” she said, “but I’m very mindful that when a woman has Hyperemesis, there’s a very high chance she’ll get it again in future pregnancies. That’s the only fear.”
Studies have shown a recurrence rate of up to 81% among women who have previously suffered from HG.
Fighting to be taken seriously
Mrs Harrison said her experience was made harder by a lack of understanding from both health professionals and family.
“People don’t take it seriously enough, and it’s hard when it comes from your loved ones,” she said. “When they kept saying to me, it’s nothing but sickness, you’ll be fine, get up, do the housework, get on with it. I didn’t get the support I needed.”
She added that she had to push to be taken seriously by medical professionals as well.
“At the start I had to push because of my midwife, I don’t think she understood,” she said. “I kept saying I can’t come to my appointment, I’m vomiting. It was then that I had a midwife come and see me at home.
“One of the tablets made me feel like the sickness had been trapped inside my stomach,” she said. “Another made me go to sleep and gave me nightmares.”
“Once that baby’s in your arms, that feeling goes”
Mrs Harrison gave birth by emergency C-section in November 2023. She said holding her daughter changed everything:
“You will lose your identity, you will feel lonely, you will feel isolated, you will feel like ending your life, but it’s going to be worth it because once that baby’s in your arms, that feeling instantly goes and you’ve basically made it and you’ve brought your bundle of joy into life.
“There should be more awareness and more understanding around pregnancy and conditions, and just about mums and babies in general. It’s shocking how a lot of women don’t know what it is.”