Impact of support systems on postpartum depression severity in women

Experimental Method Design Project

Impact of different types of support systems on postpartum depression in women

The research question under study is the degree to which support structures can affect the severity of the symptoms of postpartum depression. Other questions that may be considered include whether certain support structures are more valuable than others, such as the father of the child vs. family members and friends, or formal, professional supportive structures such as through a hospital or school.

Selection

The first difficulty of studying women with postpartum depression is finding women who can be the object of study. Not all women suffer from postpartum depression, so a generalized study of pregnant women is not sufficient. The most appropriate methodology would be to study women currently identified as suffering from postpartum depression. Subjects could be contacted through physicians and also through soliciting volunteers through advertisements on parenting-themed websites. They could also be contacted through the venue of the university's website, which advertises for volunteers to participate in research-based studies. The utility of the study must be stressed, as well as the confidentiality of the study.

After initial screening interviews are conducted, the women should be asked to take a questionnaire regarding the severity of their symptoms, family situation, and finally treatment. Supportive structures will include institutional ones (such as clinics, hospital staff, teachers), and family. Although the study design is qualitative in nature, this will provide an additional, supportive database of quantitative results.

Grounded research

Grounded research 'coding' allows the researcher to create concepts to explain the pattern of coding (such as the notion of support), and then evolves into generating categories and theories about the research. It is inductive, rather than deductive in nature. This allows for greater flexibility in allowing the subjects' own voices to guide the research and to speak for themselves. I feel this is very important, regarding the subject of postpartum depression, given that women have often not been allowed to articulate their own subjective experiences about the subject, without being judged in a negative fashion as 'bad mothers' or 'crazy.' "The basic idea of the grounded theory approach is to read (and re-read) a textual database (such as a corpus of field notes) and 'discover' or label variables (called categories, concepts and properties) and their interrelationships. The ability to perceive variables and relationships is termed 'theoretical sensitivity' and is affected by a number of things including one's reading of the literature and one's use of techniques designed to enhance sensitivity" (Borgatti, n.d).

One issue I intend to explore in my questioning is what constitutes good vs. bad support. What constitutes overly intrusive support vs. positive support? Overly intrusive support, such as overbearing relatives could increase a women's anxiety level about being a 'good enough' mother. Also, for women without support in the form of a father or other relation, can another figure, such as a friend, play a role in mitigating the depression? The role of the medical profession (or clinicians, counselors, or teachers, if that is applicable to the girl's situation) as a support structure for the woman will also be assessed, specifically in terms of how and when medicine and other forms of therapy are administered.

Once categories (positive vs. negative support, institutional vs. familial support) are generated, then concepts and theories can be formed. For example, one possible theory might be that some support for a woman with postpartum depression might be better than a lack of support. Or, that a friend in the women's life is a critical determinant in terms of the length of her illness. The extent to which medical professionals who are properly educated on the subject can provide additional support should also be assessed.

Other factors

The women's medical history, including a past history of depression, should also be included in the interview reports, particularly use of antidepressants before and during pregnancy. The drug treatments the women were administered for postpartum depression must also be noted, given the important biological component regarding the extent of the illness and its manifestations.

Follow-up

The women in the study will be subjected to a 'follow up' series of interviews within six months, after the initial series of interviews. This will allow the research to be contextualized in terms of the women's recovery or trajectory of the illness, to assess the impact of support after identification and treatment in the long-term.

Reference

Borgatti, Steve. (n.d). Introduction to grounded research. Retrieved July 23, 2011 at http://www.analytictech.com/mb870/introtoGT.htm