The Lived Experience of Postpartum Depression in a Psychiatric Population

PROBLEM: Studies have examined the quantitative causal factors of postpartum depression. However, the lived experience of postpartum depression has not been investigated. METHOD: Using a psychophenomenological design, the investigators examined reports from seven clients with a psychiatric diagnosis of postpartum depression and the role life experiences played in their labor, delivery, and postpartum periods. FINDINGS: Phenomenological analysis indicated that the psychological and physiological effects of abuse interact to create a cognitive frame of reference similar to the experience of abuse. CONCLUSION: The normal developmental event of childbearing contributes to the recall of abuse and sets the stage for postpartum depression.