Birth experiences, Sense of Self and Postpartum Psychosis (V1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Exploration of How Birth Experiences Impact Upon Sense of Self and the Development of Postpartum Psychosis
IRAS ID
335687
Contact name
Frankie Morrice
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University, Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 1 days
Research summary
Postpartum Psychosis (PP) affects 1-2 women per 1000 after childbirth, it is characterised by mood changes, hallucinations, and delusions. PP can seriously impact mothers’ mental health and mother and infant bonding. Current research mainly focuses on biological explanations for PP, therefore, little is known about psychological or social factors that might impact on the development of the illness. This can lead to an initial dismissal of the seriousness of the illness by professionals of women who are not seen to be ‘high risk’.
Emerging qualitative studies suggest there is a relationship between birth experiences and PP, particularly in terms of how women make sense of the experience and/or how they feel about themselves (their sense of self) during the birth. Increasing an understanding of how birth experiences and sense of self contribute to the development of postpartum psychosis could help healthcare professionals identify women who may be at risk earlier. It could also help women who have PP to make sense of their experiences and feel more in control.
This study will focus on women who have experienced psychosis in the postnatal period only, given the lower focus in PP research on this population. The sample will be from women who have been under the care of Kent and Medway Health and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) and who have consented to be contacted for the purpose of research.
Those interested in taking part will be offered a short initial meeting in which the purpose of the study and what their involvement entails can be explained. There will then be a semi structured interview that is anticipated to be around one hour long. The information giving meeting and interview will all take place online. The full project protocol can be found in the project document section.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0030
Date of REC Opinion
8 Feb 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion