Mechanisms of change in psychological therapy within Perinatal CMHTs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative exploration of women’s experiences of psychological therapy in Perinatal Community Mental Health Teams (PCMHTs)
IRAS ID
272170
Contact name
Jayne O'Brien
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
Women can have mental health difficulties during pregnancy and/or after their baby is born. Women need different types of support during this time. Sometimes women need psychological support that friends and family cannot offer. Psychologists and other health care professionals can offer psychological therapy to help women manage these difficulties. Little is known about what parts of therapy women have found most helpful for a range of mental health difficulties during pregnancy and/or after their baby is born.
We want to improve our understanding of how women experience psychological therapy in perinatal community mental health teams. We are aware that many women report that therapy can bring about change in their mental health difficulties and change how they bond with their baby. Sometimes this change can be helpful and other times it can be unhelpful. For this reason, we want to hear about any needs women felt were unmet and the types of support that may have been helpful. We hope to use this information to make psychological therapy more meaningful for women who experience perinatal mental health difficulties. This would lead to better outcomes for women and their babies.
We would like to find out:
1. If women think that psychological therapy helped them feel better about themselves, and if it helped them bond better with their baby.
2. How therapy brings about change with women’s mental health difficulties.Women will be asked to take part in an interview lasting approximately 60 and 75 minutes. Interviews will take place in at a location that suits the woman, e.g., at their home, GP clinic, hospital or Manchester University. Women who have received psychological therapy in a perinatal community mental health team in last 12 months across Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust and North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Trust will be eligible to take part.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NW/0244
Date of REC Opinion
21 Aug 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion