London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London)
1988
Ph.D.
London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London)
1988
The aim of this thesis has been to reconceptualize 'post nataldepression' and challenge the 'clinical' and 'social science'models of explanation. It has focussed ona) whether 'post natal depression' is an objective phenomenon, andb) whether the experience of 'post natal depression' is the samefor every women, andC) whether there are any common features of the experience ofchildbirth and early mothering which enable the construction of'normal' experience.It begins by suggesting that the 'clinical' and 'social science'models are problematic in that they are based on ideologicalassumptions and not scientific evidence about what is 'normal'following childbirth. This is explored by examining the previousliterature and by using a pre-validated measure of 'post nataldepression' in the pilot work alongside semi-structured interviews.The literature demonstrates a history of weak conceptualization andassociated poor methodology, with explicit and implicit assumptionsabout the psychology of women, childbirth and the motherhood role.This thesis therefore sets out to re-examine and re-define 'postnatal depression' by analysing detailed accounts of pregnancy,childbirth and early motherhood within a framework suggested byGidden's stratification model of knowledge and other frameworkswhich take human reflexiveness into account..The research comprised a small-scale longitiudinal study in which24 women were interviewed up to four times; during pregnancy, andone, three and six months after delivery. The data comprised indepthverbatim transcriptions (from tape recorded interviews) whichwere analyzed to consider the meaning of the experience ofchildbirth, depression and early mothering to the individualrespondent, and also to review the common features of the experience in order to suggest a construction of what is 'normal'here.The conclusion identifies certain elements of experience which arelikely to lead to 'depression' at various stages after childbirth.These are concerned with physical stress, initial ibsecurities andlack of effective support and loss of former identity. They are notco-terminus with the 'stressors' of the 'social science' model inthat their effect is totally subject to the meaning attributed tothe events by each woman within the context of her biography.
Postnatal
Nicolson, Paula.
London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London)