Enablers and barriers to seeking help for a postpartum mood disorder.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the barriers and enablers identified by women experiencing a postpartum mood disorder (PPMD) that preclude and facilitate their help-seeking behaviors for this often devastating illness.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using a grounded theory approach.

SETTING

Well-Baby Clinics offered through the Public Health Department, Early Years Centres, Mothercraft, and a Parent Resource Centre in a large Canadian city.

PARTICIPANTS

Ten women who had either been formally diagnosed as having a PPMD or who self-identified as experiencing a constellation of symptoms indicative of a PPMD.

METHODS

Interviews that were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a grounded theory approach as described by Strauss and Corbin.

RESULTS

The core category of "having postpartum" captured the essence of women's experiences in seeking help for a PPMD. Women identified four main stressors that contributed to their development of a PPMD, two barrier categories, and an enabler category that influenced their help-seeking behaviors. Through navigation of formal and informal help, women were able to begin to reclaim the mothering instincts they had lost to mental illness.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnancy, birth, and becoming a mother collectively represent a critical period of physical and emotional upheaval in a woman's life. The need for a holistic care approach that supports the emotional and physical health of the dyad is imperative.