EMCAPP

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Exploring mothers’ experiences of Mother and Baby unit care and support after postpartum psychosis

• IRAS ID

  340682

• Contact name

  Vimbai Carr

• Contact email

  vpcarr@uclan.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Central Lancashire

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 0 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  
  Background:

  Postpartum psychosis (PP) is a psychiatric emergency where mothers may experience depression, mania, confusion, hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia (Raza and Raza, 2023). Mothers with PP may be cared for in psychiatric mother and baby units (MBU) or general psychiatric units. Psychiatric-mother and baby units allow mothers to stay with their infants while receiving critical care in contrast to general psychiatric units that do not allow this.  Mothers report better satisfaction with MBU care (Howard and Khalifeh, 2020, Dembosky, 2021) however relapse and readmission rates for mothers with postpartum psychosis are similarly high across general psychiatric units and MBUs (Howard et al.,2022). There are gaps in knowledge regarding what components of MBU care are most valued by mothers with PP (Gillham and Wittkowski, 2015).

  Aims:
  This research aims to explore the experiences of care and support among mothers admitted to Mother and Baby units for PP; to understand their needs and how care helps or hinders mothers’ recovery from PP.

  Methods:
  6-8 mothers will be interviewed in the first month following discharge, then followed up and re-interviewed 4 months after the initial interview. A further group of 6-8 mothers who are one year from MBU discharge will be interviewed once.

  Outcomes:

  Interviewing mothers close to discharge will enable a better recall of mother’s MBU experiences and will capture experiences of the initial transition home from the MBU. This second set of interviews will uncover mothers’ lived experiences of long-term support following MBU discharge.

  This research may lead to a better understanding of what is working well or not working well in current care or support. This may highlight how discharge planning, or services can be improved to ensure they appropriately support mothers to prevent relapse and readmission in mothers.
  

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  24/YH/0152

• Date of REC Opinion

  18 Jul 2024

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion