- Library Home /
- Search Collections /
- Open Collections /
- Browse Collections /
- UBC Theses and Dissertations /
- Out of the darkness and into the light : Women’s experiences...
Open Collections
UBC Theses and Dissertations
UBC Theses and Dissertations
Out of the darkness and into the light : Women’s experiences with depression after childbirth Berggren-Clive, Kathy Lyn
Abstract
While becoming a mother can be a fulfilling and joyful experience, 10-28% of women can be affected by an intense emotional response commonly called postpartum depression. This phenomenon is distinguishable from the "transitory baby blues" and is often characterized by crying, confusion, fatigue, depression, insomnia, difficulty caring for the baby and self and suicidal thoughts. Research on postpartum depression has largely concentrated on investigating its possible causes and predictors utilizing quantitative methodology. Women are the experts of their own lives yet, their voices with respect to the existing body of knowledge about depression after childbirth are missing. In this exploratory qualitative study, I utilized a feminist perspective and interviewed eight women who had recovered from postpartum depression, thus allowing them to define the nature of their experiences. A three-stage model emerged that demonstrated how women made sense of that time in their lives. Why did this Happen?, the first stage, represented women's attempts to determine why they had postpartum depression. The second stage, Spiralling Downward, focused on how the depression entered their lives and enveloped them in darkness. Getting to the Other Side, the third stage, addressed the process of their recovery. The findings of this study provides a contextual picture of women's experiences with depression after childbirth and the knowledge created has important implications for the practice of professionals and the implementation of policy and programs that meet the needs of new mothers and their families.
Item Metadata
Title |
Out of the darkness and into the light : Women’s experiences with depression after childbirth
|
Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
|
Date Issued |
1996
|
Description |
While becoming a mother can be a fulfilling and joyful experience, 10-28% of
women can be affected by an intense emotional response commonly called postpartum
depression. This phenomenon is distinguishable from the "transitory baby blues" and is
often characterized by crying, confusion, fatigue, depression, insomnia, difficulty caring
for the baby and self and suicidal thoughts. Research on postpartum depression has
largely concentrated on investigating its possible causes and predictors utilizing
quantitative methodology. Women are the experts of their own lives yet, their voices with
respect to the existing body of knowledge about depression after childbirth are missing.
In this exploratory qualitative study, I utilized a feminist perspective and interviewed eight
women who had recovered from postpartum depression, thus allowing them to define the
nature of their experiences. A three-stage model emerged that demonstrated how women
made sense of that time in their lives. Why did this Happen?, the first stage, represented
women's attempts to determine why they had postpartum depression. The second stage,
Spiralling Downward, focused on how the depression entered their lives and enveloped
them in darkness. Getting to the Other Side, the third stage, addressed the process of
their recovery. The findings of this study provides a contextual picture of women's
experiences with depression after childbirth and the knowledge created has important
implications for the practice of professionals and the implementation of policy and
programs that meet the needs of new mothers and their families.
|
Extent |
9492258 bytes
|
Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
|
Language |
eng
|
Date Available |
2009-02-12
|
Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
|
Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
DOI |
10.14288/1.0087161
|
URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
|
Graduation Date |
1996-11
|
Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
|
Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
|
Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.