Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38326817›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2024

Working with suicidal mothers during the perinatal period: a reflexive thematic analysis study with mental health professionals.

Holly E Reid, Dawn Edge, Daniel Pratt, Anja Wittkowski

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Holly E ReidDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Brunswick Street, M13 9PL, Manchester, UK.
Dawn EdgeDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Brunswick Street, M13 9PL, Manchester, UK.
Daniel PrattDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Brunswick Street, M13 9PL, Manchester, UK.
Anja WittkowskiDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Brunswick Street, M13 9PL, Manchester, UK. anja.wittkowski@manchester.ac.uk.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/N013751/11
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSuicide is the leading cause of death in mothers postpartum and one of the most common causes of death during pregnancy. Mental health professionals who work in perinatal services can offer insights into the factors they perceive as being linked to mothers' suicidal ideation and behaviour, support offered to mothers and improvements to current practices. We aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of perinatal mental health professionals who have worked with suicidal mothers during the perinatal period.

methodSemi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face or via telephone with mental health professionals working in perinatal mental health inpatient or community services across England. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

resultsFrom the professionals' (n = 15) accounts three main themes were developed from their interview data. The first, factors linked to suicidal ideation and behaviour, overarched two sub-themes: (1.1) the mother's context and (1.2) what the baby represents and what this means for the mother. These sub-themes described factors that professionals assessed or deemed contributory in relation to suicidal ideation and behaviour when a mother was under their care. The second main theme, communicating about and identifying suicidal ideation and behaviour, which outlined how professionals enquired about, and perceived, different suicidal experiences, encapsulated two sub-themes: (2.1) how to talk about suicide and (2.2) types of suicidal ideation and attempts. The third main theme, reducing suicidal ideation through changing how a mother views her baby and herself, focused on how professionals supported mothers to reframe the ways in which they viewed their babies and in turn themselves to reduce suicidal ideation.

conclusionProfessionals highlighted many factors that should be considered when responding to a mother's risk of suicide during the perinatal period, such as the support around her, whether the pregnancy was planned and what the baby represented for the mother. Professionals' narratives stressed the importance of adopting a tailored approach to discussing suicidal experiences with mothers to encourage disclosure. Our findings also identified psychological factors that professionals perceived as being linked to suicidal outcomes for mothers, such as self-efficacy; these factors should be investigated further.

Indexed as

MothersSuicidal IdeationFemaleHumansMental HealthParturitionPostpartum PeriodPregnancyCliniciansInterviewsPerinatalProfessionalsQualitativeStaffSuicide

Identifiers

PMID38326817
PMCPMC10848420

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.