Abstract
Objectives:
Postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA) affect a significant proportion of postpartum women worldwide, with recent research highlighting their negative impact on maternal well-being, child development, and family dynamics. Despite the growing recognition of these conditions, there is still limited knowledge about the selfhelp strategies women use to manage their symptoms, particularly in specific cultural contexts like Latvia. This study is a qualitative investigation conducted among Latvian women experiencing postpartum depression (PPD) and/or postpartum anxiety (PPA). The research aimed to identify the self-help strategies used by women with PPD and/or PPA to alleviate their symptoms, as well as to examine their subjective experiences of these strategies.
The research was funded by the framework of the Plan of the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility and the State budget grant Nr.5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/005 project "The Development of Postpartum Depression Care in Latvia" (RSU/LSPA-PA-2024/1-0003).
Method:
The study involved eight women diagnosed with PPD and/or PPA, who participated in semi-structured online interviews. The data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results:
The findings, partly consistent with the findings of other studies, indicate that the women used a variety of self-help strategies, including connection to nature, social support, physical activities, knowledge acquisition, various
relaxation techniques, structured daily routines and reliance on faith or inner strength. Social support emerged as the most helpful strategy, along with connection with nature, physical activities, structured daily routines, and
education.
Conclusion:
The research results underscore the multifaceted nature of the self-help strategies employed by women with postpartum depression and anxiety. Social support, connection to nature, physical activities, and structured daily
routines emerged as key resources that significantly contributed to managing symptoms. Recognizing and fostering these strategies within mental health care frameworks can enhance the support available to postpartum women,
ultimately improving their well-being and recovery outcomes.
Postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA) affect a significant proportion of postpartum women worldwide, with recent research highlighting their negative impact on maternal well-being, child development, and family dynamics. Despite the growing recognition of these conditions, there is still limited knowledge about the selfhelp strategies women use to manage their symptoms, particularly in specific cultural contexts like Latvia. This study is a qualitative investigation conducted among Latvian women experiencing postpartum depression (PPD) and/or postpartum anxiety (PPA). The research aimed to identify the self-help strategies used by women with PPD and/or PPA to alleviate their symptoms, as well as to examine their subjective experiences of these strategies.
The research was funded by the framework of the Plan of the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility and the State budget grant Nr.5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/005 project "The Development of Postpartum Depression Care in Latvia" (RSU/LSPA-PA-2024/1-0003).
Method:
The study involved eight women diagnosed with PPD and/or PPA, who participated in semi-structured online interviews. The data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results:
The findings, partly consistent with the findings of other studies, indicate that the women used a variety of self-help strategies, including connection to nature, social support, physical activities, knowledge acquisition, various
relaxation techniques, structured daily routines and reliance on faith or inner strength. Social support emerged as the most helpful strategy, along with connection with nature, physical activities, structured daily routines, and
education.
Conclusion:
The research results underscore the multifaceted nature of the self-help strategies employed by women with postpartum depression and anxiety. Social support, connection to nature, physical activities, and structured daily
routines emerged as key resources that significantly contributed to managing symptoms. Recognizing and fostering these strategies within mental health care frameworks can enhance the support available to postpartum women,
ultimately improving their well-being and recovery outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 591 |
| Pages (from-to) | 657 |
| Journal | European Journal of Psychology Open |
| Volume | 84 |
| Issue number | Suppl.1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
| Event | 19th European Congress of Psychology - Paphos, Cyprus Duration: 1 Jul 2025 → 4 Jul 2025 Conference number: 19 https://ecp2025.eu/ |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
-
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Field of Science*
- 3.2 Clinical medicine
- 5.1 Psychology
- 3.3 Health sciences
Publication Type*
- 3.3. Publications in conference proceedings indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database
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