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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 15(1)

Consumers’ views on the use of diagnostic labels to describe psychological distress in the postpartum: implications for health care

Belinda Oddy A , Heather Rowe A B and Jane Fisher A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society, University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: h.rowe@unimelb.edu.au

Australian Journal of Primary Health 15(1) 9-16 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY08061
Published: 19 March 2009

Abstract

Postpartum psychological distress is common and its detection is important in primary health care. Australia’s residential early parenting centres admit mothers with their infants and treat both infant sleep and settling and maternal mental health. Many women have health problems but low uptake of professional assistance after discharge. Psychological distress may be conceptualised as either individual psychopathology or a normal reaction to caring for an unsettled infant, loss of identity and status, and limited emotional and practical assistance, but the potential benefits or harms of psychiatric labelling are uncertain. We examined the opinions of consumers of a residential early parenting centre. The method used was that, 12 months after discharge, a self-report survey was mailed. Results showed 50/94 (54%) women returned completed surveys. Participants identified perceived causes of postpartum psychological distress as: difficult infant temperament and behaviour (57%); fatigue (53%); and insufficient support (47%). Sixty-one per cent thought that diagnostic labels could improve access to health care, but 58% believed that it might cause others to question a woman’s mothering ability or limit access to employment (83%). Psychiatric labels may improve access to health care in the postpartum, but effective treatments will address causes of distress as understood by women.

Additional keywords: postpartum depression, primary health care, psychiatric labels, stigma.


Acknowledgements

This study was funded by a small grant from the diamond Consortium, ‘Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes of Depression in Primary Care’ Building capacity in primary mental health care research and evaluation, funded by the beyondblue Victorian Centre of Excellence in Depression and Related Disorders. The authors gratefully acknowledge the women who participated and the research assistance provided by Ms Amy Williamson and Ms Lauren Matheson.


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