scholarly journals Seeking help for perinatal psychological distress: a meta-synthesis of women’s experiences

2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (663) ◽  
pp. e692-e699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Button ◽  
Alexandra Thornton ◽  
Suzanne Lee ◽  
Judy Shakespeare ◽  
Susan Ayers
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Continuity Of Care ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Perinatal Care ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Seeking Help

BackgroundWomen may not seek help for perinatal psychological distress, despite regular contact with primary care services. Barriers include ignorance of symptoms, inability to disclose distress, others’ attitudes, and cultural expectations. Much of the evidence has been obtained from North American populations and may not, therefore, extrapolate to the UK.AimTo understand the factors affecting women’s decision to seek help for perinatal distress.Design and settingMeta-synthesis of the available published qualitative evidence on UK women’s experiences of seeking help for perinatal distress.MethodSystematic searches were conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched were PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, CINAHL, and Academic Search Complete. Searches of grey literature and references were also conducted. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported qualitative data on UK women’s experiences of perinatal distress and contact with healthcare professionals. The synthesis was conducted using meta-ethnography.ResultsIn all, 24 studies were eligible for inclusion. Metasynthesis identified three main themes: identifying a problem, the influence of healthcare professionals, and stigma. These themes build on current understanding of help seeking by identifying the need for women to be able to frame their experience, for healthcare professionals to educate women about their roles, the need for continuity of care, and the way that being seen as a ‘bad mother’ causes women to self-silence.ConclusionPerinatal care provision needs to allow for continuity of care and for staff training that facilitates awareness of factors that influence women’s help seeking. Further research is required, particularly in relation to effective means of identifying perinatal psychological distress.

scholarly journals Contemplating Help-Seeking in Perinatal Psychological Distress—A Meta-Ethnography

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5226
Author(s):  
Minna Anneli Sorsa ◽  
Jari Kylmä ◽  
Terese Elisabet Bondas
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Critical Appraisal ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Linear Process ◽  
Small Children ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Critical Appraisal Skills

Perinatal psychological distress (PPD) may cause delays in help-seeking in the perinatal period, which is crucial for families with small children. Help-seeking theories focus on rational processes of behavior wherein ‘help-seeking’ is viewed as a decision-making process, in which action is preceded by recognizing a problem. We identified the phase prior to actual help-seeking actions as a life situation and a phenomenon through which to gain a deeper understanding from women’s own perspectives. The aim of this study was to integrate and synthesize knowledge of women’s experiences of contemplating seeking help for PPD. We chose interpretative meta-ethnography by Noblit and Hare (1988) and implemented eMERGe guidelines in reporting. The search was performed systematically, and the 14 included studies were evaluated with Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist (CASP). We identified seven themes and a metaphor in a lines-of-argument synthesis, showing that contemplating help-seeking is a multidimensional phenomenon. We did not observe a straightforward and linear process (as previous research suggests) but instead a complex process of contemplating help-seeking. A clinical implication is that service providers should work with outreach and develop their tools to connect with mothers with PPD. Another suggestion is to improve training in mental health literacy prior to or during pregnancy.

Women's Experiences of Violence and Seeking Help

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 852-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy L. Postmus ◽  
Margaret Severson ◽  
Marianne Berry ◽  
Jeong Ah Yoo
Keyword(s):  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Seeking Help

Contending with Psychological Distress in Contexts with Limited Mental Health Resources: HIV-Positive Kenyan Women's Experiences

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peninnah M. Kako ◽  
Angela R. Wendorf ◽  
Patricia E. Stevens ◽  
Emmanuel Ngui ◽  
Laura L. Otto-Salaj
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences

scholarly journals Women's experiences of VBAC in Cyprus: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Hadjigeorgiou ◽  
Constantina Katsie ◽  
Maria Papadopoulou ◽  
Maria Dolores Christofi ◽  
Andri Christoforou
Keyword(s):  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Perinatal Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vaginal Birth ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Previous Caesarean Section ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Background and aim In 21st century, there has been an increasing interest in vaginal birth after previous caesarean section (VBAC) in Cyprus, a country with a very high operative birth rate. Research-based evidence of women’s VBAC experiences in Cyprus is non-existent, despite its significance for the well-being of mothers and families. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the women’s lived experience of VBAC in Cyprus. In this study women’s experiences of VBAC are explored for the first time in Cyprus. Method The study is qualitative and exploratory in nature. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 women, who experienced vaginal birth after a previous caesarean section (VBAC) in Cyprus. A descriptive phenomenological approach was employed for the analysis of data. Results Analysis of data yielded four major themes: (a) medicalization of childbirth, (b) preparing for a VBAC, (c) birth environment, and (d) healing through VBAC. On the whole, the women interviewed described their previous experience of CS as traumatic, in contrast to vaginal childbirth. VBAC was considered an utterly positive experience that made the women feel empowered and proud of themselves. Conclusion This study offers valuable insight into a newly researched subject in Cyprus, which is necessary for advancing perinatal care in Cyprus. The findings indicate that women need evidence-based information, guidelines on birthing options, good preparation with tailored information and personalized care for a successful vaginal birth after a previous caesarean section. Proper, non-biased, consultations are a main factor that affects women’s choice of mode of birth. The introduction of new, women-friendly perinatal strategies that respect and promote childbirth rights is imperative in the case of Cyprus. All women have the right to exercise informed choice and the choice to alternative birthing options.

scholarly journals Online reported women’s experiences of symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse after vaginal birth

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Mirskaya ◽  
Eva-Carin Lindgren ◽  
Ing-Marie Carlsson
Keyword(s):  
Pelvic Organ Prolapse ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Pelvic Organ ◽  
Vaginal Birth ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Fertile Women

Abstract Background Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a major public health problem with a relative high lifetime risk of surgery. The main risk factor for developing POP is vaginal birth. Many women become symptomatic later in life and most of the existing research on symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (sPOP) predominantly concentrates on the effects of the condition on postmenopausal women. However bothersome symptoms of POP can be reported as early as in women’s 20s and may occur shortly after vaginal birth. Limited studies provide an insight into daily life of fertile women with sPOP. Thus, we aimed to explore fertile women’s experiences of symptomatic pelvic organ (sPOP) after vaginal birth. Methods An inductive, text-driven approach was taken by selecting thread posts from an internet forum written by 33 Swedish fertile women who had experienced sPOP after vaginal birth. Results The overarching theme “being irreparably damaged” was identified as representing an experience of being disabled by sPOP after vaginal birth. The fertile women experienced that their lives were ruined because of physical and psychological limitations caused by this unexpected, unfamiliar and unexplained condition. Living with sPOP impinged on sexual health, restricted daily and sports activities and affected the women’s ability to fulfill everyday parental duties. This in turn compromised women’s psychological health. In addition, the negligence of healthcare professionals who tended to trivialize and normalize the symptoms led to the belief that there were no sustainable treatments and that women would have to live with bothersome symptoms of POP for rest of their lives. Conclusions This study found that sPOP had a significant negative impact on fertile women’s lives. The women indicated that they had not had the opportunity to voice their concerns and had not been taken seriously by healthcare professionals. It is of the utmost importance to acknowledge this problem and develop guidelines for prevention and management of sPOP to improve the quality of life for women.

Intersections and Multiple ‘Candidacies’: Exploring Connections between Two Theoretical Perspectives on Domestic Abuse and Their Implications for Practicing Policy

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mhairi Mackenzie ◽  
Ellie Conway ◽  
Annette Hastings ◽  
Moira Munro ◽  
Catherine A. O’Donnell
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Domestic Abuse ◽  
The Political ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Literature Synthesis

Domestic abuse policy increasingly uses language which indicates that abuse is patterned according to structural factors. However, practicing according to these structural accounts of abuse is problematic because of the policy and organisational contexts that practitioners work within and, we argue, because the implications of the structured nature of victims’ experiences is not fully understood by all practitioners.We ask whether women's differential use and experiences of services with a remit to address abuse can be illuminated using two theoretical perspectives – ‘candidacy’ and intersectionality. We report the findings of a literature synthesis that investigates how these improve our understanding of women's help-seeking and service utilisation and of the responses that they receive. Both concepts were highly congruent with the literature and we conclude that, together, candidacy and intersectionality offer a means of enhancing knowledge of how the political becomes enacted in the personal. Embedding such knowledge within practice repertoires offers the potential to develop more nuanced structural understandings of women's experiences and constraints.

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