title: A qualitative meta-synthesis and theory of postpartum depression.
abstract: To synthesize existing qualitative literature on the first-hand experiences of women suffering from postpartum depression (PPD), to uncover potential common themes, a meta-synthesis of 12 qualitative studies using Noblit and Hare's 7-phase model of meta-ethnography was used. Four themes were discovered: crushed maternal role expectation, going into hiding, loss of sense of self, intense feelings of vulnerability, plus practical life concerns. A preliminary theory of PPD as a 4-step process is proposed, based on the relationships between the themes in this meta-synthesis. This 4-step process is compared and contrasted with Cheryl Tatano Beck's 4-stage theory of PPD "Teetering on the Edge". This meta-synthesis and theory offers a significant contribution to the literature in helping identify PPD distinctly from depression outside of the postpartum period, and deserves further study.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), College of Nursing, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Mollard
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D009742:Nursing Theory; D011582:Psychological Theory; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012649:Self Concept