Lived experiences of women who have recovered from Post- Partum Psychosis: a phenomenological study

Background: Puerperal psychosis is a psychiatric disorder that is prevalent in women in their postpartum period, although it’s not very common. It has an adverse impact on their mental health, leading to neglect of their newborns. Objective: The objective of the study was to explore the lived experiences of women who have recovered from psychosis following childbirth. Materials and Methods: This phenomenological qualitative study adopted an exploratory approach and was conducted at Jinnah Medical College Peshawar from July 1st to December 31st, 2023. Data was collected from 15 patients through non-probability purposive sampling. These women presented to the psychiatry OPD for follow-up visits and were previously admitted to the psychiatry unit of Jinnah Medical College, Peshawar, for postpartum psychosis. Those diagnosed cases who had recovered from postpartum psychosis were selected, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with them to explore their lived experiences in detail. The data was analyzed by manual thematic analysis. Results: Data collected showed that women who had given birth recently suffered from severe depression having melancholy and grief. Their daily behavior was greatly affected by this ailment, and they were unable to function properly and look after their babies. Eight themes were identified from the data, which were severe depression, suicidal tendency, violent behavior, hallucinations, delusional beliefs, mood swings, disorientation, and bizarre thoughts. Conclusion: Suicidal and infanticide ideations are the important aspects of this study that can put the lives of mothers and babies in danger. This illness negatively affects women's mental health, resulting in their neglecting their newborns.