Department of Clinical Psychology, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK.
J Reprod Infant Psychol. 2024 Mar;42(2):281-298. doi: 10.1080/02646838.2022.2103793. Epub 2022 Jul 31.
Postpartum psychosis is a severe mental health illness following childbirth. Studies to date have developed from initial focus on experiences of women to address the role and experiences of partners, and recently to touch on the effect on their relationship. This study aimed to build on this work, by focussing directly on the impact of postpartum psychosis on the couple's relationship, from the perspectives of both the woman and her partner.
A constructivist grounded theory approach was utilised to generate a theory that explained the impact of postpartum psychosis on the couple's relationship. In-depth semi-structured interviews were completed with a sample of eight women and six partners.
Four stages and five general categories described the processes that the couple experienced, and the impact postpartum psychosis had on their relationship.
The grounded theory adds to current evidence and helps increase understanding of factors that play a role in adjustment and outcomes. New insights were identified, including postpartum psychosis amplifying existing relational patterns; and the mediating role of the pre-existing relationship and couplehood. Clinical implications and areas for further research are considered.
产后精神病是一种产后严重的心理健康疾病。迄今为止的研究已经从最初关注女性的经历发展到关注伴侣的角色和经历，最近还涉及到对他们关系的影响。这项研究旨在通过直接关注产后精神病对夫妻关系的影响，从女性和她的伴侣两个角度来建立在这一工作的基础上。
采用建构主义扎根理论方法，生成了一个理论，解释了产后精神病对夫妻关系的影响。对 8 名女性和 6 名伴侣进行了深入的半结构化访谈。
四个阶段和五个一般类别描述了夫妻经历的过程，以及产后精神病对他们关系的影响。
该扎根理论增加了当前的证据，并有助于增加对在调整和结果中起作用的因素的理解。确定了新的见解，包括产后精神病放大了现有的关系模式；以及预先存在的关系和夫妻关系的中介作用。考虑了临床意义和进一步研究的领域。
