St. Mary's Research Centre and Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Faculty of Community Services, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2021 Oct;30 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):1376-1385. doi: 10.1111/inm.12884. Epub 2021 May 24.
Perinatal mental health issues are a global public health challenge. Worldwide, it is estimated that 10% of pregnant women, and 13% of women who have just given birth, experience a mental disorder. Yet, for many reasons - including stigma, limited access to services, patients' lack of awareness about symptoms, and inadequate professional intervention - actual rates of clinical and subclinical perinatal mental health issues are likely higher. Studies have explored experiences such as postpartum depression, but few involve a wider-ranging exploration of a variety of self-reported perinatal mental health issues through personal narrative. We conducted 21 narrative interviews with women, in two Canadian provinces, about their experiences of perinatal mental health issues. Our aim was to deepen understanding of how individual and cultural narratives of motherhood and perinatal mental health can be sources of shame, guilt, and suffering, but also spaces for healing and recovery. We identified four predominant themes in women's narrative: feeling like a failed mother; societal silencing of negative experiences of motherhood; coming to terms with a new sense of self; and finding solace in shared experiences. These findings are consistent with other studies that highlight the personal challenges associated with perinatal mental health issues, particularly the dread of facing societal norms of the 'good mother'. We also highlight the positive potential for healing and self-care through sharing experiences, and the power of narratives to help shape feelings of self-worth and a new identity. This study adheres to the expectations for conducting and reporting qualitative research.
围产期心理健康问题是一个全球性的公共卫生挑战。据估计，全球有 10%的孕妇和 13%的刚分娩的妇女患有精神障碍。然而，由于多种原因——包括耻辱感、服务获取有限、患者对症状缺乏认识以及专业干预不足——实际的临床和亚临床围产期心理健康问题的发生率可能更高。研究已经探讨了产后抑郁等经历，但很少有研究通过个人叙述更广泛地探索各种自我报告的围产期心理健康问题。我们在加拿大的两个省份对 21 名妇女进行了叙事采访，了解她们的围产期心理健康问题经历。我们的目的是深入了解个人和文化的母性和围产期心理健康叙事如何成为羞耻、内疚和痛苦的根源，但也是治愈和康复的空间。我们在女性的叙述中确定了四个主要主题：感觉自己是一个失败的母亲；社会对母性的负面经历的沉默；接受新的自我意识；在共同的经历中找到安慰。这些发现与其他研究一致，这些研究强调了与围产期心理健康问题相关的个人挑战，特别是面临社会规范的“好母亲”的恐惧。我们还强调了通过分享经验进行治疗和自我保健的积极潜力，以及叙事帮助塑造自我价值感和新身份的力量。本研究符合进行和报告定性研究的预期。
