title: An exploration of illness beliefs in mothers with postnatal depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to explore illness beliefs in women with postnatal depression and suggest an appropriate health belief model. About 10% of recently delivered mothers suffer from depression. Postnatal depression may differ from depression occurring at other times in an individual's life not only symptomatically but also experiences, perceptions and beliefs about the illness differ because of the individual's specific role as a carer for a newborn baby. Whilst illness beliefs have been extensively examined using models from physical health, recent studies have pointed out that physical health models may not provide an appropriate framework to explore mental health difficulties and require adapting.
  
  
  METHODS
  qualitative study using face-to-face interviews for data collection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Greater Manchester, England.
  
  
  METHODS
  as illness beliefs have not yet been formally assessed using established questionnaires, the present study employed qualitative methodology to explore illness beliefs in mothers with postnatal depression (PND). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 participants who were depressed following the birth of their child. Interview transcripts were analysed using grounded theory methodology. The point of theoretical sufficiency was reached with this sample size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the rich data allowed for a theory of illness beliefs in PND to be developed encompassing six core categories: 'unmet expectations', 'identifying stressors in their life context', 'conflict over label', 'antidepressants: the lesser of two evils', 'loss of time' and 'uncertain futures.'
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  participants made multiple appraisals of their PND in light of their initial difficulties, their improvements and consequences, the future and subsequent service involvement. Participants' narratives were conflicting and uncertain with internal struggles evident as mothers were torn between their desire to be good mothers and their perceptions that PND meant that they were not good enough mothers. Thus, the themes identified in this study did not match onto the key dimensions postulated by Leventhal's self-regulation model of illness beliefs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wittkowski
authors.forename: John R E
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wieck
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001294:Attitude to Health; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012803:Sick Role; D012944:Social Support
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents