Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing
Clinical ResearchCanadian Mothers’ Perceived Support Needs During Postpartum Depression
Section snippets
Design
In this multisite, exploratory, descriptive study, rich qualitative data were collected on support needs, the availability of resources, perceived barriers to support, and preferences for support of women who have experienced symptoms of PPD. The study received ethics approval, and appropriate methods were used to safeguard participants’ privacy.
Settings Data were collected from women in two Canadian provinces, including the urban city of Edmonton, Alberta (AB), and the largely rural regions of
Profile of participants
Table 1 provides demographic and descriptive data about the participating women. On average, women were depressed at the time of interview according to the EPDS scores. Women in the two sites shared many commonalities.
Support needs and resources
Mothers described a number of instrumental, informational, emotional, and affirmational support needs that are similar to those of most new mothers. However, participants revealed needs that were specific to their experience of PPD. Instrumental (i.e., help with household chores,
Discussion and recommendations
Because this retrospective study relied on participants’ recollections of being depressed in the postpartum period, this research is limited by an inability to confirm that mothers actually experienced PPD. Moreover, a combination of open coding and coding according to the categories of emotional, affirmational, informational, and instrumental support may have imposed limitations. Nonetheless, supported by findings from other studies, this research provides (a) insight into women’s support
Conclusion
Given the multifactorial nature of PPD and differences in personal needs and preferences, a variety of intervention options should be offered. For most mothers, one‐on‐one support is preferred; however, group support should be available once the mothers start to feel better and are able to comfortably interact with other mothers in a group format. Caregivers, whether professional or peers, need to work at developing a trusting relationship with mothers. This suite of alternatives needs to be
Acknowledgment
Support provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, UNB Research Fund, and UNB Work‐Study Program.
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