A phenomenological study of mothers' experiences with postpartum depression: Challenges and coping strategies

This study was conducted to understand the challenges and coping strategies of mothers experiencing postpartum depression. The research aimed to identify and examine the psychological, social, physiological, and economic difficulties encountered during the postpartum period, as well as the social, behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual coping methods employed by mothers, using a qualitative research design. Accordingly, the study was based on the phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research methods. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 mothers. The study group consists of participants who have been diagnosed with postpartum depression by a psychiatrist or who scored 13 and above on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, in addition to having low scores on the Brief Resilience Scale. Data collection tools included a Demographic Information Form, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and semi-structured interview questions. The data obtained from the participants were analyzed using thematic analysis through the "MaxQDA" software. As a result of the analysis, two main themes and subthemes were identified. It was found that mothers experienced challenges during this period in psychological (thoughts, emotions, and behaviors), social (lack of social support, lack of spousal support, societal discourses, and difficulties related to healthcare professionals), physiological (obstetric problems, changes in physical appearance and body image, discomforts related to the baby, and maternal health complaints), and economic domains. Among these, psychological difficulties were the most frequently coded category under the theme of experienced challenges. The study also investigated the coping strategies developed by mothers in response to the challenges faced during the postpartum period. These strategies were coded as social (support from mothers, professionals, spouses, friends, mothers-in-law, and neighbors), behavioral (engaging in pleasurable activities, returning to previous routines, paying attention to self-care), emotional (maternal bonding, acceptance of emotions), cognitive (self-affirmation, acceptance based on a sense of obligation), and spiritual strategies. Among these, social coping strategies were found to be the most frequently used. It is recommended that mothers be closely monitored during the postpartum period, particularly in terms of psychological screening, and that easily accessible primary healthcare services be provided to address the needs of this period.