Perceptions and experiences of prenatal mental health: A qualitative study among pregnant women in Ghana
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Date
2023
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Publisher
Health Psychology Open
Abstract
Prenatal mental health problems can have adverse effects on the health and wellbeing of the mother as well as her baby.
However, the factors associated with its etiology, expression, and coping mechanisms in Ghana remain understudied. This
qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of prenatal mental health problems among 21 pregnant women
in Accra through semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis led to three dominant themes;
“conceptions of prenatal mental disorders” (sub-themes: awareness and constructions of prenatal mental health problems),
“experiences of mental health problems” (sub-themes: symptoms of prenatal mental health problems and causal attri butions of prenatal mental health problems) and “coping mechanisms of the pregnancy experience” (subthemes: faith, social
support and work). The lack of knowledge of mental health disorders in this study and the expression of contextually
relevant and culturally defined constructions and experiences of prenatal mental health problems, highlight the need for the
development of culturally suitable interventions within the Ghanaian context.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
prenatal mental health, perinatal mental health, pregnancy, social support, faith, culture, context