Document Type
Article
Department
Psychiatry; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan
Abstract
Background: Women in Pakistan suffer from a high rate of depression. The stress of low-income, illiteracy, exposure to violence and living in a patriarchal society are predisposing vulnerabilities for depression, particularly during and following pregnancy. The resilience of an individual plays a significant role in promoting prenatal mental health, but this has yet to be thoroughly researched. In this article, our objective is to identify the core characteristics of resilience among pregnant women, which will then help us in developing an intervention.
Methods: The exploratory-descriptive study was conducted over 6 months in five different antenatal hospitals in Sindh, Pakistan. A total of 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted with pregnant women, purposefully selected with heterogeneous characteristics to explore diverse perspectives, while symptoms of depression were quantified by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale before the interview. Verbatim transcriptions were coded openly and merged into categories and themes.
Result: A total of six themes emerged from in-depth thematic analysis: 1) purpose of life, 2) dealing with emotions, 3) believing in yourself, 4) optimistic approach, 5) strengthening support and relationship and 6) spirituality and humanity. Women agreed that these characteristics could help them improve their mental health.
Conclusion: In conclusion, these themes were the core components of pregnant women's resilience which ultimately could help to promote prenatal mental health. These pave a pathway towards developing culturally and contextually resilience interventions aimed at enhancing mental health of pregnant women which then may improve neonatal and family mental wellbeing.
Publication (Name of Journal)
BMC pregnancy and childbirth
Recommended Citation
Shehzad, S.,
Arthur, D.,
Parys, A. V.,
Letourneau, N.,
Wagnild, G.,
Premji, S. S.,
Asad, N.,
Degomme, O.
(2022). Resilience and prenatal mental health in Pakistan: A qualitative inquiry. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 22(839).
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_son/467
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Nursing Midwifery Commons, Obstetrics and Gynecology Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Women's Health Commons
Comments
Pagination are not provided by the author/publisher