Research participation: Midwives' perspectives of perinatal mental health

By Postgraduate Researcher at Lancaster University, Molly Turgoose on 19 January 2022

Are you a qualified midwife currently employed in the UK? I’m really interested in finding out more about your perspectives on perinatal mental health.

Background

Some new mothers report ‘psychotic-like experiences’. This means, having unusual beliefs that other people do not have, or hearing or seeing things that other people cannot. This can be frightening and may be connected to other mental health problems related to giving birth. It is important for us to understand how professionals can support these women, and give information and advice.

In this study, we are particularly interested in midwives’ perspectives regarding these experiences, as there is very little research exploring midwives’ views around this topic. We hope that this will increase our understanding of how to support midwives in their role in perinatal mental health, and also how to continue supporting women with perinatal mental health concerns.

Aim

The aim of this study will be to gain a greater understanding of midwives’ perspectives around these experiences and the results will show different areas that seem important and relevant for midwives. These findings will be used to identify support needed for midwives to be able to continue to support women with their mental health.

Participants

We are interested in interviewing qualified midwives who are currently working in the UK, particularly midwives who have not specialised in mental health. You do not need any experience working with women who have experienced ‘psychotic-like experiences’, psychosis or perinatal mental health difficulties to take part in this study. Participation in this study would involve taking part in an interview that would last approximately an hour. The interview can be done online, over the telephone or face-to-face.

How do I take part?

If you are interested in participating, please contact Molly Turgoose at m.turgoose@lancaster.ac.uk for more information.

This study has been reviewed and approved by the Faculty of Health and Medicine Ethics Committee at Lancaster University.