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‘Postnatal’: Trapped, Alone in the Dark – Women’s Experiences of Postnatal Depression and Drawings

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Abstract

This chapter explores couples’ experiences of screening and diagnosis of PND and their perceptions of the label of PND. “‘Postnatal’: Trapped alone in the dark” represents the darkness, isolation, and feeling of entrapment that most women experienced when they developed PND. The couples use the term “postnatal” when they talk about PND, perhaps to avoid labeling their experiences as PND. “Postnatal” may refer to a period of distress, rather than depression, in motherhood. The women’s drawings depicted in this chapter provided powerful images of their lived experience of PND and enhanced their verbal accounts. In this chapter, we also detail the amount of support partners provided to women as well as the couples’ perceptions of their relationship and the emotional health of the partners. When women develop PND, they need support from their partners when they develop depressive symptoms, as many partners assisted women to treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peace of Mind Parenting Support, 3126, Eltham, Victoria, Australia

    Carolyn Westall

  2. School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

    Pranee Liamputtong

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  1. Carolyn Westall
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  2. Pranee Liamputtong
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Correspondence to Carolyn Westall .

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Westall, C., Liamputtong, P. (2011). ‘Postnatal’: Trapped, Alone in the Dark – Women’s Experiences of Postnatal Depression and Drawings. In: Motherhood and Postnatal Depression. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1694-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1694-0_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-1693-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-1694-0

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