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Couples' Experiences of Maternal Postpartum Depression.

Publication ,  Journal Article
O'Brien, AJ; Chesla, CA; Humphreys, JC
Published in: Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN
May 2019

To understand the processes that couples navigate as they cope with maternal postpartum depression (PPD) in early parenthood.Qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study.Community setting in the western United States.A convenience sample of 10 couples (N = 20, 10 mothers and 10 fathers) who indicated they had maternal diagnoses of PPD after the births of their first children within the last 3 years.Couples were interviewed together and then individually with the use of a semistructured interview guide. Narrative and thematic analyses were used to understand couples' lived experiences of PPD.Participants cocreated their experiences of maternal PPD. Three primary phases in the pattern of coping with PPD were identified: Dismissal (couples attempted to normalize their experiences and protect the mother from judgment), Acknowledgment (couples revealed their concerns, the first step in the process of seeking help), and Accommodation (process of trial and error used to find a way to meet the needs of the mother).Our findings suggest that practitioners must support the needs of the entire family, including fathers, when mothers have a diagnosis of PPD. Fathers support mothers during this difficult experience but not without an increased burden of stress to themselves.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN

DOI

EISSN

1552-6909

ISSN

0884-2175

Publication Date

May 2019

Volume

48

Issue

3

Start / End Page

341 / 350

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Support
  • Postpartum Period
  • Parenting
  • Nursing
  • Mothers
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Female
 

Citation

APA
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ICMJE
MLA
NLM
O’Brien, A. J., Chesla, C. A., & Humphreys, J. C. (2019). Couples' Experiences of Maternal Postpartum Depression. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing : JOGNN, 48(3), 341–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2019.04.284
O’Brien, Alyssa J., Catherine A. Chesla, and Janice C. Humphreys. “Couples' Experiences of Maternal Postpartum Depression.Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing : JOGNN 48, no. 3 (May 2019): 341–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2019.04.284.
O’Brien AJ, Chesla CA, Humphreys JC. Couples' Experiences of Maternal Postpartum Depression. Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN. 2019 May;48(3):341–50.
O’Brien, Alyssa J., et al. “Couples' Experiences of Maternal Postpartum Depression.Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing : JOGNN, vol. 48, no. 3, May 2019, pp. 341–50. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.jogn.2019.04.284.
O’Brien AJ, Chesla CA, Humphreys JC. Couples' Experiences of Maternal Postpartum Depression. Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN. 2019 May;48(3):341–350.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN

DOI

EISSN

1552-6909

ISSN

0884-2175

Publication Date

May 2019

Volume

48

Issue

3

Start / End Page

341 / 350

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Support
  • Postpartum Period
  • Parenting
  • Nursing
  • Mothers
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Female