Posttraumatic Growth after Postpartum Psychosis

Abstract

Purpose: To explore positive changes in women's beliefs, emotions, and behaviors following their struggles with postpartum psychosis. Study Design and Methods: This is a descriptive qualitative study of women who experienced posttraumatic growth after postpartum psychosis. We recruited participants from postings on three Facebook groups. Participants sent their stories of posttraumatic growth after postpartum psychosis via email attachment. We used the following five domains from Tedeschi and Calhoun's (2004) posttraumatic growth model to guide our deductive content analysis: Relating to Others, Personal Strength, Appreciation of Life, New Possibilities, and Spiritual and Existential Change. Results: Thirteen women participated. Relating to Others was the posttraumatic growth domain most often described by the participants followed in order of frequency by Personal Strength, Appreciation of Life, New Possibilities, and Spiritual and Existential Change. Partners and family members' support was instrumental in recovery from postpartum psychosis. Clinical Implications: When considering the total sample, participants experienced all five domains of posttraumatic growth after postpartum psychosis though not every individual experienced growth in all five domains. Interventions can be tailored to meet the needs of women depending on which phase of recovery from postpartum psychosis women are in, acute, early recovery, or advanced recovery. Advanced recovery is the most appropriate phase to discuss the possibility of posttraumatic growth with women. Such discussion should be done with caution and sensitivity as not all women experience positive growth, and it can be harmful to frame this in a way that indicates or encourages expectation.