“Hear me out”: experiences of women with severe mental illness with their healthcare providers in relation to motherhood

Abstract

Most women with severe mental illness (SMI) are mothers, however little is known about their own experiences of how the health care providers offer support in handling motherhood. This study attempted to assess the barriers, expectations and facilitators in seeking help from mental health care providers in matters of pregnancy and motherhood using a qualitative methodology. The study used a qualitative design with social constructivist paradigm to obtain data from 30 mothers with SMI who had children less than five years of age. One-to-one in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted and inductive thematic analysis was used to explore transcripts using Charmaz's grounded theory. Main barriers in seeking help from health care providers were perceived stigma, treatment side-effects, misinterpretations of information and health providers not having enough time. On the other hand self-advocacy, early engagement with the health care system, being psychoeducated and involvement of the family with service providers were the facilitating factors. The prime expectations of the mothers were early and direct communication and basic guidance regarding child health and parenting issues. Women who are mothers and also users of mental health services face special challenges in managing their illness and motherhood. Hearing their voices is essential for service provision and ensuring adequate mental health and handling motherhood.