Critical Commentary
Barriers to Help-Seeking Behavior Among Women With Postpartum Depression

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2018.09.006Get rights and content

Abstract

Postpartum depression affects approximately 900,000 women annually, but only approximately 6% of these women seek psychological help (Postpartum, Progress, 2016). This lack of help-seeking behavior must be addressed to decrease the negative effects of postpartum depression on maternal and infant outcomes. The purpose of this article is to describe the barriers that prevent women from seeking psychological help and provide suggestions to address these barriers.

Section snippets

Overview of PPD

One of three postpartum mood disorders (see Table 1), PPD typically begins within 2 weeks after childbirth but can occur anytime in the first postpartum year. Signs and symptoms of PPD may include persistent sadness, guilt, insomnia, anxiety, and thoughts of infant harm and self-harm (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2016, Drake et al., 2014). Treatment is vital for PPD because symptoms can last for years after childbirth if untreated (Foulkes, 2011). It is important to

Health Belief Model

The health belief model (HBM) can be applied to enhance understanding of the relationships among the following concepts for women with PPD: sociodemographic factors, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers. This model has been used to explain individual behavior in response to a specific threat of an illness or disease (Rosenstock, 1974). The HBM serves as a framework with which to describe the potential willingness of women to seek psychological

Implications for Health Care

It is estimated that approximately 900,000 women experience symptoms of PPD each year (Postpartum Progress, 2016). Only 50,000 of these women actually seek psychological help. That leaves 850,000 women each year who endure symptoms of PPD without treatment (Postpartum Progress, 2016). Not only does this lack of treatment negatively affect women, but this also means that at least 850,000 children each year are at risk to develop lifelong deficits as a result of untreated PPD. Now is clearly the

Conclusion

Multiple barriers exist that prevent mothers from seeking psychological help for the treatment of PPD. The timely treatment of PPD has been found to enhance both maternal and infant outcomes (Foulkes, 2011, Murray et al., 2014). In addition to implementing new guidelines to address health care system–level barriers, there is an urgent need to develop and implement interventions that address the lack of knowledge and perceived stigma associated with the lack of help-seeking behavior among women

Brittany G. Grissette, MSN, RN, is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA.

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  • Cited by (0)

    Brittany G. Grissette, MSN, RN, is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA.

    Regena Spratling, PhD, RN, APRN, CPNP, is an associate professor and Director of the PhD in nursing program, Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.

    Dawn M. Aycock, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAHA, is an associate professor in the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.

    The authors report no conflict of interest or relevant financial relationships.

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