Mothers’ and fathers’ lived experiences of postpartum depression and parental stress after childbirth: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The study aims are to explore the lived experiences of mothers and fathers of postpartum depression and parental stress after childbirth.

Methods: Qualitative interviews conducted, and analysed from an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) perspective.

Results: Both mothers and fathers described experiences of inadequacy, although fathers described external requirements, and mothers described internal requirements as the most stressful. Experiences of problems during pregnancy or a traumatic delivery contributed to postpartum depression and anxiety in mothers and affected fathers’ well-being. Thus, identifying postpartum depression with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, mothers described varying experiences of child health care support. Postpartum depression seemed to affect the spouses’ relationships, and both mothers and fathers experienced loneliness and spouse relationship problems. Experiences of emotional problems and troubled upbringing in the parents’ family of origin may contribute to vulnerability from previous trauma and to long-term depressive symptoms for mothers.

Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate the significant impact of postpartum depression and parental stress has in parents’ everyday lives and on the spouse relationship. These results support a change from an individual parental focus to couples’ transition to parenthood in child health care.

KEYWORDS:

• Postpartum depression
• parental stress
• child health care
• parental support
• qualitative research

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the informants for their willingness to share their time, stories, and experiences. We would also like to acknowledge all the CHC nurses who have promoted the study and helped with the questionnaires.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maude Johansson

Maude Johansson is an authorized psychologist, psychotherapist and PhD. She has mostly worked in the area of child psychiatry. The research topic concerns the identifications and treatment of mothers and fathers with depressive symptoms and parental stress in early parenthood.

Ylva Benderix

Ylva Benderix is a RN, reg. Family therapist and senior lecturer with long experience of treatment and support to families with children with disabilities, psychiatric problems but also families with problems with substance use disorders.

Idor Svensson

Idor Svensson is an authorized psychologist and professor in Clinical Psychology. He has mostly worked in Child Health Care The research topic is in the area reading and writing disabilities and dyslexia.