Negation in the Childbearing Continuum: A Qualitative Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Negation in the Childbearing Continuum: An in-depth exploration of women's narratives Negation (concealment and denial)
IRAS ID
228101
Contact name
Jane Rooney
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
LJMU
Duration of Study in the UK
8 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The term ‘negation’ will be used in this study to include both denial and concealment. Women can present to health services at any stage of pregnancy, when labour has commenced, or following the birth in the immediate postnatal period. Due to the negation, the partial or entire childbearing process is either denied or concealed by the woman, and unknown to those around them. Negation presents a serious risk to the woman and fetus as the woman is likely to have received little or no care. There is a strong body of evidence to link non-engagement with maternity services with high rates of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. This suggests that negation during childbearing is more likely to incur poorer outcomes for mother and baby, compared to those childbearing is revealed. Furthermore there is an emotional, psychological and social risk to the woman and family. These are women's stories that have their roots in a poor maternity experience, poorer mental health outcomes and long-term health implications. This qualitative study aims to explore these stories using in-depth interviews and social networking to gather data, increasing knowledge of this underesearched issue by:
Explore the stories of negation at any stage of the childbearing continuum, from the perspective of the woman affected.
• Gain and increase understanding of negation as a distinct phenomena, as there is a lack of understanding and identification of the issue.
• Explore services and support mechanisms offered and the effectiveness of this from the woman’s perspective.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0599
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion