Women's experiences of health visitor delivered listening visits as a treatment for postnatal depression: A qualitative study

Abstract

Objective To explore women's experiences of health visitor delivered listening visits as a treatment for postnatal depression. Methods In-depth interviews with 22 women who had received listening visits as a treatment for postnatal depression. Results All the women reported the visits as beneficial, although many of them had required additional intervention to manage their symptoms. Women who had a previous history of depression and women whose depression was not attributed to events in the postnatal period perceived the listening visits to be less beneficial. Receiving visits from a research health visitor, rather than their practice health visitor, was felt to be advantageous. Conclusion Women with postnatal depression may report listening visits as helpful but insufficient to manage their depression. The extent to which women report listening visits as beneficial appears to be linked to the causes of their depression, the way in which the visits are delivered and by whom. Practice implications Practitioners managing women with postnatal depression should discuss possible causes and previous episodes of depression before suggesting listening visits as a treatment. They need to explain what the visits will entail, ensure that additional types of treatment remain available and encourage women to utilise other forms of support.