Acceptance and Experience of Treatment for Postnatal Depression in a Community Mental Health Setting

Abstract

Our objective in this qualitative study was to investigate the acceptance and experience of treatment for postnatal depression (PND). Fifteen women who had received treatment and support from the community mental health service for PND were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed using the modified analytic induction method. The majority of women interviewed had reached "crisis point" before they sought and received treatment. The stigma attached to an inability to cope and being a "bad mother" emerged as the main barrier to seeking help earlier. In addition, women were unable to differentiate between "normal" levels of postpartum distress and depressive symptoms that might require intervention. Talking about their distress and experiences, both with health professionals and other mothers, was regarded as of primary importance in the recovery process.

Lost in a Nameless Chaos—Women’s Experiences of Postpartum Depression: A Meta-Ethnographic Study

“…Three studies were conducted in Australia [16] [17] [21], two in the US [18] [25], two in the UK [20] [24], one in Canada [22], one in New Zealand [23] and one in Sweden [19]. The methodologies used in the studies included some form of thematic analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) or grounded theory.…”

“…However, some were uncertain about whether their experiences could be characterized as normal [16] and lacked the energy to care for their children in the way they felt they should [12]. Overall, they considered these changes in their lives to be major, often resulting in feelings of chaos and confusion, mixed with anxiety [16] [21] [23]. The majority of the women had experienced a "crisis point" before seeking help and treatment due to the stigma attached to feelings of inability to cope and being a "bad mother".…”

Supporting depressed mothers at home: Their views on an innovative relationship-based intervention

“…Satisfaction reviews are critical to identifying which aspects of a program participants value and which are therefore likely to enhance participation. These elements may assist in overcoming the barriers to care that reduce access to and uptake of suitable treatment interventions (McCarthy & McMahon 2008). Such elements can, in turn, be incorporated in future clinical programs and into nurse education and professional development.…”

“…This is vital given the long-term negative outcomes for children of mothers experiencing ongoing depression (e.g. Lectourneau, Salmani & Duffett-Leger 2010), and the need to provide support that is acceptable for participants and tailored to their needs, given considerable evidence of low treatment uptake in mothers with postnatal depression (McCarthy & McMahon, 2008). …”

Self-Efficacy and Postpartum Depression Teaching Behaviors of Hospital-Based Perinatal Nurses

“…Barriers to treatment for PPD include stigma toward mental illness and mental health treatment (Edwards & Timmons, 2005) as well as a knowledge deficit about PPD (e.g., symptom identification, treatment availability, treatment options, and uncertainty of where to seek treatment) (Logsdon, Hines-Martin, & Rakestraw, 2009;McCarthy & Mahon, 2008). Learning needs of new mothers are not always met within the early postpartum period (Bowman, 2005;Mantha, Davies, Moyer, & Crowe, 2008), and they may feel unprepared upon arriving home (George, 2005).…”