Mothers’ and fathers’ lived experiences of postpartum depression and parental stress after childbirth: a qualitative study (original) (raw)
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The Experiences of Pregnancy and Childbirth in Women with Postpartum Depression: A Qualitative Study
Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 2018
Background: Postpartum depression is a common disease with serious consequences for the mother and child. However, a few qualitative studies have been conducted on the lived experiences of mothers. Objectives: This study is aimed at exploring the experiences of mothers with the depression from pregnancy and childbirth. Methods: This qualitative study has been conducted on 16 women with a history of depression after childbirth. To collect data, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data collected were analyzed using content analysis suggested by Graneheim and Lundman. Results: The data analysis led to the development of 821 inductive codes categorized into three themes: 'experienced problems', 'unmet expectations', and psychological distresses. The experienced problems comprised socioeconomic factors and complications during pregnancy and childbirth. The unmet expectations comprised conditions and reactions women expected to occur during interactions with others such as social support and marital relationship. Further, psychological distress was the women's reaction to pregnancy-related events and relative interactions, including psychological reactions and inefficiency in playing roles and fulfilling responsibilities. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the need for exploration of the psychological processes during pregnancy. Women felt they needed support that was not easily available and were worried about lack of privacy and loss of control over their private life, causing psychological distress for women. Couples should receive the education necessary for the risk of post-partum depression.
Long-term effects of maternal postpartum depression on mothers’ and fathers’ parenting stress
Early Child Development and Care, 2020
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Postnatal depression and the evaluation of an integrative parenting programme
2016
Researchers explored a group of South African couples’ experience of maternal postnatal depression (PND), in order to learn about maternal PND as experienced by both partners, as well as to understand the challenges that goes with PND from the couples’ perspective. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 couples. Data was analysed thematically and highlighted a significant physical, psychological and interpersonal impact on the family system. Female and male partners have different perceptions regarding the parenting experience and the challenges they encounter, which affect how well they are able to cope with their roles and responsibilities, and also how much support they offer to their partner. 73 A POSTNATAL DEPRESSION PROGRAMME FOR COUPLES Couples’ experience of maternal postnatal depression Pregnancy and childbirth are both generally considered to be a time of celebration, excitement and joy (Mulcahy, Reay, Wilkinson, & Owen, 2010). However, many parents struggle to ...
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2017
Background: Pregnancy and childbirth are two critical stages in a woman's life. Various studies have suggested that psychological distress is common during the year after childbirth. The objectives of this exploratory study were (1) to explore the needs of mothers in the year following childbirth; (2) to compare these needs between mothers who did not have the feeling of living a psychological disorder or a depression and mothers who lived a psychological disorder or had the impression of living a depression; and (3) to compare the needs expressed by mothers with the perception of professionals and fathers about the mothers' needs. Methods: First, we proceeded to 22 individual qualitative interviews followed by one focus group, with mothers, with and without experience of psychological distress. Then, we conducted 2 focus groups: one with professionals and one with fathers. Results: Needs of mothers after childbirth have been indexed in four categories: need of information, need of psychological support, need to share experience, and need of practical and material support. Women do not feel sufficiently informed about this difficult period of life. They do not feel sufficiently supported, not only from a psychological point of view but also from a more practical point of view, for example with household chores. They need to share their experience of life, they need to be reassured and they need to feel understood. It seems that some differences exist between mothers' and professionals' experiences but also between mothers' and fathers' experiences. Conclusion: Young mothers apparently feel a lack of support at different levels in the year following childbirth. This study provides ways to meet women's needs and to try to prevent the risk of postpartum psychological distress during this period of time.
Psychology & Health, 2014
Objectives: Postnatal depression affects approximately 15% of women in Western countries. There are conflicting findings about the effects on fathers as well as the extent to which fathers buffer against the negative effects of depression on children. This study sought to understand the ways in which maternal postnatal depression affects men and their ways of fathering. Design: Narrative interviews were conducted with 14 British fathers (mean age = 33.9 years) whose (ex)partners had experienced at least one episode of postnatal depression. Interviews explored how their partner's depression affected them, the partner relationship, their children and their ways of fathering. Data were analysed with interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results and Conclusions: Men felt that their partner's depression led to significant physical and/or psychological maternal absence as well as a fracturing of the family unit, which had been an important ideological foundation for men's fathering. Unequal divisions of labour, unfulfilled expectations, a thwarting of preferred ways of fathering and preoccupation with their partner's depression took some men away from fathering. Others reported adaptation by accepting the loss of shared parenting and investing in an exclusive fatherchild relationship. Fathering appears to be particularly affected by the loss of a close adult relationship.
Pediatric Reports, 2015
Transition to parenthood represents an important life event increasing vulnerability to psychological disorders. Postpartum depression and parenting distress are the most common psychological disturbances and a growing scientific evidence suggests that both mothers and fathers are involved in this developmental crisis. This paper aims to explore maternal and paternal experience of transition to parenthood in terms of parenting distress and risk of postpartum depression. Seventy-five couples of first-time parents were invited to compile the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form in the first month of children life. Study sample reported very high levels of parenting distress and a risk of postpartum depression in 20.8% of mothers and 5.7% of fathers. No significant correlation between parenting distress and the risk of postpartum depression emerged, both in mothers than in fathers group while maternal distress levels are related to paternal one...
Women’s experiences of postnatal distress: a qualitative study
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2014
Background: Women can experience a range of psychological problems after birth, including anxiety, depression and adjustment disorders. However, research has predominantly focused on depression. Qualitative work on women's experiences of postnatal mental health problems has sampled women within particular diagnostic categories so not looked at the range of potential psychological problems. The aims of this study were to explore how women experienced and made sense of the range of emotional distress states in the first postnatal year.