Women's experience of postpartum psychosis : A qualitative metasynthesis

Background: Pregnancy and having children is a life adjustment, which can increase the vulnerability to mental illness. Postpartum psychosis is a rare but a serious and acute condition that affects women and relatives. There is a need for multi-professional team care, where the midwife advocate the reproductive and perinatal health and rights during the postpartum period. Aim: to describe women's experience of postpartum psychosis. Methods: A qualitative meta-synthesis with meta-ethnographic design and thematic analysis was applied. The databases used were CINAHL, PubMed and PsycINFO, where 20 scientific articles were included. Results: The synthesis resulted in five themes. In the theme of the time before the psychosis it emerged that the women tried to understand and analyze factors that may have influenced the development of the psychosis. The acute phase describes the women's experience of the debut and symptoms of postpartum psychosis. In the recovery process it emerged how women experienced the recovery from postpartum psychosis, which was described as a non-linear and energy-demanding process. In the support from relatives, it emerged that the women believe that the support of relatives was important during the postpartum psychosis. In terms of support from health care professionals, the women highlight deficiencies thatoccurred in the care and how family-centered departments affected women's health in a positive way. Conclusion: The results illustrate how support from women's relatives was important, as was support from healthcare professionals, both during treatment and after discharge. Women also emphasized a desire for participation in the care and the importance of the multiprofessional and family-centered care. Clinical implications: The results can contribute to increased knowledge for midwives and other healthcare personnel, which is important for the women's health and experience of care for.