"I'm a Horrible Mother": The Relationship Between Psychoeducation, Disclosure, and Shame Surrounding Postpartum Intrusive Thoughts.

Abstract

The current study explored whether women who had experienced Postpartum Intrusive Thoughts of Intentional Harm (PPITIH) were more likely to disclose these thoughts and less likely to experience shame about such thoughts after being exposed to psychoeducation about PPITIH. The study also examined whether shame was a significant predictor of the number of people to whom the participant had disclosed their PPITIH. Additionally, a content analysis was used to explore participants' responses to the psychoeducation. One hundred and thirty-nine women completed the web-based study. The number of participants reporting PPITIH significantly increased following the exposure to the psychoeducation and participants' levels of shame significantly decreased. No relationship was found between participants' level of shame and the number of people to whom they had disclosed their experiences with PPITIH prior to the study. Themes of relatability, reassurance, and resonance emerged from the responses of participants who reported having experienced PPITIH; whereas those of surprise/sadness/shock and similarities emerged from those who denied having experienced them.