1 - Partners' experiences of care from mental healthcare services
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences of care from mental healthcare services among partners of women accessing support for postpartum psychosis: a qualitative study
IRAS ID
332391
Contact name
Emily Roxburgh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 25 days
Research summary
This study will explore what partners of women who experienced psychosis after giving birth think of the care that they received from mental healthcare services. Psychosis after giving birth is commonly referred to as postpartum psychosis, and typically occurs in the first two weeks after giving birth. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, and mood and cognitive changes. We know that partners of women who experience postpartum psychosis play an important role in the woman’s care and recovery. Partners take on more responsibility in the family home and often feel isolated and frustrated. They also report feeling excluded and not taken seriously by staff working in healthcare services. The NHS long term plan recognises that partners need support that is unique to their needs and aims to provide mental health checks and therapy for partners by 2023/24. Guidelines also highlight that services should be including partners in the woman’s care.
Therefore, It is important for us to understand how involved, supported, and informed partners feel. We will invite partners who see our study advertised to take part in a questionnaire first, followed by an interview lasting just over an hour. The interview will ask questions about the partners wellbeing, if partners were offered any support, what partners thought of information provided by healthcare staff and their understanding of psychosis after birth, what the process of accessing support was like, and how involved partners felt by services. Partners will share their experiences to help us understand what they found helpful, unhelpful, and what they would like to see more of. These findings could help services support partners of women who experience psychosis after birth, hoping to improve their wellbeing and experiences of care.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/SC/0013
Date of REC Opinion
9 Feb 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion