Antenatal depression as experienced by the couple : a retrospective study

Abstract

This study explores the couple’s lived experience of maternal antenatal depression. Antenatal depression is under-researched, and is often insufficiently detected and treated. This retrospective qualitative study employs an interpretative phenomenological approach. Participants were recruited through the Gynaecology Outpatients and Antenatal Clinic. The sample consisted of six married couples who were interviewed conjointly up to five years postnatally. Analysis of emergent themes demonstrates the couple’s co-constructed experience as characterised by incongruity and lack of control. Women often felt misunderstood by their husbands, while men expressed helplessness. The couples’ resilience was evident in their prioritisation of the family unit. Amongst the salient findings, this study reveals couples’ antenatal anxiety regarding the potential consequences on their child, and the tendency to later pathologize particular postnatal observations. Findings were interpreted using a systemic framework, the family life cycle model, and a social constructionist perspective. This research suggests the necessity of enhancing detection and treatment choices, providing consistent postnatal care, and increasing the inclusion of fathers in perinatal care.