Journal article
Paternal Mental Health Following Perceived Traumatic Childbirth
Midwifery, Vol.41, pp.125-131
2016
Abstract
Objective: theobjective behind the current study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of fathers after childbirth trauma, an area of minimal research. This is part two of a two-part series conducted in 2014researching the mental health of fathers after experiencing a perceived traumatic childbirth. Design: qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews and reporting of qualitative questions administered in part one's online survey (Author, 2014). Setting: interviews conducted face-to-face at an Australian University or on Skype. Participants: sixty-nine responded to the online qualitative questions and of these seven were interviewed. Measurements: thematic analysis of verbal and written qualitative responses. Findings: thematic analysis of qualitative survey data and interviews found a global theme 'standing on the sideline' which encompassed two major themes of witnessing trauma: unknown territory, and the aftermath: dealing with it, and respective subthemes. Key Conclusions: according to the perceptions and experiences of the fathers, there was a significant lack of communication between birthing teams and fathers, and fathers experienced a sense of marginalisation before, during, and after the traumatic childbirth. The findings of this study suggest that these factors contributed to the perception of trauma in the current sample. Whilst many fathers reported the negative impact of the traumatic birth on themselves and their relationships, some reported post-traumatic growth from the experience and others identified friends and family as a valuable source of support. Implications for practice: improved communication between midwifery staff and fathers before, during and after childbirth may reduce the rates of paternal postpartum mental health difficulties and experiences of trauma.
Details
- Title
- Paternal Mental Health Following Perceived Traumatic Childbirth
- Authors
- Christian Inglis (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and EngineeringRachael Sharman (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and EngineeringRachel Reed (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
- Publication details
- Midwifery, Vol.41, pp.125-131
- Publisher
- Churchill Livingstone
- Date published
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.midw.2016.08.008
- ISSN
- 0266-6138
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2016. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
- Organisation Unit
- School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine - Legacy; School of Health - Psychology; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99451288202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
215 File views/ downloads
4190 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Web Of Science research areas
- Nursing
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites