How do women cope with postpartum depression

Screening tools for instance Edinburgh postpartum depression scale abbreviated as (EPDS) has been popularly been put into use due to its precision and accuracy in measuring stress levels in new mothers who succumb to postnatal disorders, (Callister, et al, 2011). Studies have shown that despite the great call to seek medical advice and check-ups concerning their health status as far as this disorder is concerned, only a few women are willing to come out strongly and to get diagnosis for their issues. The major reason being that they fear being stigmatized and labelled as mentally ill or depressed. (Callister, et al, 2011), this has been the major factor as to why new mothers have been reluctant in seeking help and guidance into these disorders.

Majority of mothers prefer keeping their complications to themselves however much these problems could be hurting them. Another major lapse or poor belief was the perception that people around them were uncaring and the huge fear of being categorized as mentally ill hence stigmatization. Postnatal depressive disorders have been further associated with psychosocial issues such as pressure or the fear of losing freedom of association and movement, as well as housing and financial pressure due to marginalization and segregation of the affected women. Apparently, the menace about women affected by postnatal depression or the baby blues I a serious concern that can never be assumed and left untracked. Solutions have to be provided as to what can be done to provide reliable and long lasting solutions in order to curb more damage and further damage from hitting in new mothers.

However, the extant research has made serious call to stop stigma, to offer supportive environment for the affected women with depressive disorders, providing both material and moral support that will lead to better lives and swift recovery process for the already affected women. This study opted for this method since it has been used in a number of past studies especially in exploring lived experiences for people especially women, and it has proven to be effective in data collection. This method was considered for women since it is believed to be the most reliable strategy in for women since it can explore individual experiences without providing any kind of threats and naturally permits extraction of qualitative data. Additionally, (Carey & Asbury, 2016) focused group method is effective in incidences where the desired ends are to elicit talks or conversations among participants as well as providing harmonious environment where participants can comfortably reveal sensitive information.

This study used 40 participants from both private and the public health centres. This was done in order to avoid getting biased results as a result of inclining on one side. This study used interpretative phenomenological strategy for analysing data. This analysis strategy was preferred since it is the best in providing the researcher with the ability to make better constructs and understanding of what participants intend to say a reflected n their individual account. Additionally, this method is more objective since it doesn’t rely on casual explanations in forming opinions of what a participant intended to imply from their responses. The strongest desirable point about this analysis strategy is that it helps the researcher integrate his own values and beliefs into the participant`s responses in order to make better understanding of lived experiences depending on the information provided, (Carey & Asbury, 2016).

This study sought participant’s information to record interviews and this was also supplemented by notes which were hand written. This is one of the major causes of depressive disorders mothers struggle with, (Callister, et al, 2011). Lack of access and awareness on mental health Childbirth is a frustrating process which leaves new mothers with void in their hearts. This requires that they should receive the necessary attention as afar as guidance and counselling is concerned on keeping healthy and avoiding some activities or thought patterns which are likely to predispose them to depressive disorders. Additionally, most of the women from marginalized areas reported that they had poor access to health services which even extended to their lives after childbirth, (Crockett, et al, 2008).