School of Public Health, Hainan Medical University, Hainan, People's Republic of China.
Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Sep 11;24(1):609. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-06053-y.
Pregnant women face significant physiological and psychological stressors, which can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Despite the importance of professional psychological assistance, many pregnant women in China do not seek help due to various barriers. This study aims to explore the experiences and challenges of pregnant women in seeking psychological help in China through qualitative methods.
Purposive sampling was employed to select 20 pregnant women from a Class III Type A hospital in Hainan. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted from July to August 2023, focusing on psychological states, help-seeking experiences, encountered challenges, and suggestions for improving psychological support. Colaizzi's 7-step method was used to synthesize the themes.
We distilled five themes: (1) Psychological conditions during pregnancy, which includes stress and emotional fluctuations and anticipations of postpartum challenges; (2) Barriers to seeking help, underscored by societal misconceptions, limited professional access, and varied familial support; (3) Sources of psychological stress, highlighting physical changes, familial and work pressures, and societal expectations; (4) Expectations for psychological assistance, emphasizing the need for professional understanding and societal awareness; (5) Impact of psychological issues on daily life, such as decreased work efficiency and affected social activities.
Pregnant women in China confront significant psychological stress and face multiple barriers in accessing help. There is an urgent need for personalized and professional psychological services for pregnant women. Addressing barriers such as societal stigma and poor accessibility, along with increasing public awareness and improving mental health services, is crucial. These findings provide a foundation for developing effective psychological support strategies aimed at enhancing the mental health of pregnant women in China.
孕妇面临着重大的生理和心理压力，这可能导致焦虑和抑郁等心理健康问题。尽管专业心理援助非常重要，但由于各种障碍，中国许多孕妇并不寻求帮助。本研究旨在通过定性方法探讨中国孕妇寻求心理帮助的经验和挑战。
采用目的抽样法，从海南一家三级 A 类医院选择了 20 名孕妇。2023 年 7 月至 8 月，采用半结构式深入访谈法，重点关注心理状态、寻求帮助的经历、遇到的挑战以及改善心理支持的建议。采用科莱兹的 7 步方法综合主题。
我们提炼出了五个主题：（1）怀孕期间的心理状况，包括压力和情绪波动以及对产后挑战的预期；（2）寻求帮助的障碍，突出了社会误解、专业渠道有限和不同的家庭支持；（3）心理压力的来源，强调身体变化、家庭和工作压力以及社会期望；（4）对心理援助的期望，强调专业理解和社会意识的必要性；（5）心理问题对日常生活的影响，如工作效率下降和社交活动受影响。
中国孕妇面临着重大的心理压力，在寻求帮助时面临多种障碍。迫切需要为孕妇提供个性化和专业的心理服务。解决社会污名化和获取渠道差等障碍，以及提高公众意识和改善心理健康服务至关重要。这些发现为制定有效的心理支持策略提供了基础，旨在增强中国孕妇的心理健康。
