gms | German Medical Science

Background: Post-Natal Depression (PND) is a mood disorder that affects both the health of mother as the development of her son and has a social-family negative impact. The clinical manifestations of this condition usually appears four weeks after birth, reaching higher values in the first six months, affecting about one in every seven women.

Aim: With this study, we sought to answer the question how women at risk of postnatal depression lives their transition process to parenting? We aimed to understand the nature of this transition process; identify the personal, social and community conditions in which it occurs, understand the nature of its action; and also understand the response patterns of mothers. The ultimate goal was the development of a middle range theory to contribute to the improvement of midwifery care quality, provided to families in this transition process.

Methods: To address these concerns, Grounded Theory was the methodology used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The method of constant comparison and theoretical sampling for data collection and/or its analysis, was used. Fourteen mothers with scores greater than 12 on the Edinburgh PostPartum Depression Scale, participated in the study. Information was collected in the participants domicile in two distinct times for a total of 24 interviews.

Results: The results allowed the construction of a theoretical model to explain the transition experience of parenting of women at risk for PND, defined by central category Being a mother at risk of postpartum depression: construction of a transition process, which is the emergence of a force that enables the personal transformation of women motivated to child care and the necessary renewal for the daily struggle that is parenting, specialy with a risk of PND, in a constant self rebuilding.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: When the study initiated the university didn’t had any ethics commitee. Also, we asked the local health intitution permition to conduct the study, but, at that time, they didn’t had a ethics committe also. Even though, we had in mind bioethics principles when accessing participants and vulnerable information. More information may be provided. There are no conflicts of interest.