Robertson Emma, Lyons Antonia
Department of Psychiatry, University of Birmingham, UK.
Psychol Psychother. 2003 Dec;76(Pt 4):411-31. doi: 10.1348/147608303770584755.
To explore women's experiences of the relatively uncommon postnatal illness of puerperal psychosis, and to gain understanding into living through and past the illness.
An interview-based study using grounded theory principles to analyse the qualitative data.
Interviews were conducted with 10 women who had been diagnosed and treated for puerperal psychosis (defined according to DSM-IV criteria, with onset within six weeks of childbirth) during the last 10 years.
Three main categories were identified from the interviews: puerperal psychosis as a separate form of mental illness, loss, and relationships and social rules. Further, two higher order concepts were identified, termed 'living with emotions' and 'regaining and changing self'. These concepts emerged across, and linked, the categories previously identified.
Women felt that the illness took away the ability to experience normal emotions, as affective responses were viewed as potentially pathogenic. Although puerperal psychosis was described as a life-changing experience, the women used feeling like their 'old sense of self' as a marker for recovery. Anger and frustration were directed towards health services because of their lack of provision of adequate information and support for the women and their families. More support may have alleviated the stresses placed on relationships and informed families about the nature of the illness. Further work is needed to establish the long-term effects of suffering from puerperal psychosis.
探讨女性患相对罕见的产后疾病——产褥期精神病的经历，并了解患病及康复后的生活情况。
一项基于访谈的研究，运用扎根理论原则分析定性数据。
对过去10年中被诊断患有产褥期精神病（根据《精神疾病诊断与统计手册》第四版标准定义，产后六周内发病）并接受治疗的10名女性进行访谈。
从访谈中确定了三个主要类别：产褥期精神病作为一种独立的精神疾病形式、丧失以及人际关系和社会规则。此外，还确定了两个更高层次的概念，即“带着情绪生活”和“重塑与改变自我”。这些概念贯穿并联系了先前确定的类别。
女性认为这种疾病剥夺了她们体验正常情绪的能力，因为情感反应被视为可能致病。尽管产褥期精神病被描述为改变人生的经历，但女性将感觉像“以前的自我”作为康复的标志。由于卫生服务机构缺乏为女性及其家人提供足够的信息和支持，她们对其感到愤怒和沮丧。更多的支持可能会减轻人际关系所承受的压力，并让家人了解该疾病的性质。需要进一步开展工作以确定患产褥期精神病的长期影响。
