Postnatal women's experiences of management of depressive symptoms: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Postnatal depression is a public health problem requiring intervention. To provide effective care, information is needed on the experiences of those with high levels of depressive symptoms who are offered and accept, or decline, psychological intervention postnatally.

Aim: To provide the first integrated in-depth exploration of postnatal women's experiences of the identification and management of symptoms of depression and the offer and acceptance of postnatal care by health visitors taking part in the PoNDER trial.

Setting: General practice: primary care within the former Trent regional health authority, England.

Method: Thirty women with 6-week Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores ≥ 18 and probable depression completed semi-structured interviews. All women had taken part in the Post-Natal Depression Economic Evaluation and Randomised controlled (PoNDER) trial where intervention group health visitors received training in identification of depressive symptoms and provided psychologically informed sessions based on cognitive-behavioural therapy or person-centred counselling principles.

Results: When accepted, psychological sessions were experienced as positive, effective, and 'ideal care'. Women approved of using the EPDS but did not understand the health visitor's role in supporting women. Seeking help and accepting sessions depended on women's perspectives of their health visitor as an individual.

Conclusion: Women's experience of their health visitors providing psychological sessions to help with postnatal depressive symptoms is highly positive. Women will better accept support from health visitors if they recognise their role in postnatal depression and find them easy to relate to on personal matters. There is a case for specific enhancement of interpersonal skills in health visiting, or alternatively offering a choice of health visitors to women.