“Nobody Listened”. Mothers’ Experiences and Needs Regarding Professional Support Prior to Their Admission to an Infant Mental Health Day Clinic

Tinne Nuyts, Sarah Van Haeken, Neeltje Crombag, Binu Singh, Susan Ayers, Susan Garthus-Niegel, Marijke Anne Katrien Alberta Braeken and Annick Bogaerts
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Tinne Nuyts: Department of Development & Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, Woman & Child, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Sarah Van Haeken: Department of Development & Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, Woman & Child, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Neeltje Crombag: Department of Development & Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, Woman & Child, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Binu Singh: University Psychiatric Center, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Susan Ayers: Center for Maternal and Child Health Research, City, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UK
Susan Garthus-Niegel: Institute for Systems Medicine (ISM), Faculty of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
Marijke Anne Katrien Alberta Braeken: REVAL-Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
Annick Bogaerts: Department of Development & Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, Woman & Child, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 20, 1-12

Abstract: Challenges during the perinatal period can lead to maternal distress, negatively affecting mother-infant interaction. This study aims to retrospectively explore the experiences and needs regarding professional support of mothers with difficulties in mother-infant interaction prior to their admission to an infant mental health day clinic. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 mothers who had accessed an infant mental health day clinic because of persistent severe infant regulatory problems impairing the wellbeing of the infant and the family. Data were transcribed and analyzed using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL). Three themes were identified: ‘experience of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood’; ‘difficult care paths’; and ‘needs and their fulfillment’. The first theme consisted of three subthemes: (1) ‘reality does not meet expectations’, (2) ‘resilience under pressure’, and (3) ‘despair’. Mothers experienced negative feelings that were in contradiction to the expected positive emotions associated with childbirth and motherhood. Resilience-related problems affected the mother-child relationship, and infants’ regulatory capacities. Determined to find solutions, different healthcare providers were consulted. Mothers’ search for help was complex and communication between healthcare providers was limited because of a fragmented care provision. This hindered the continuity of care and appropriate referrals. Another pitfall was the lack of a broader approach, with the emphasis on the medical aspects without attention to the mother-child dyad. An integrated care pathway focusing on the early detection of resilience-related problems and sufficient social support can be crucial in the prevention and early detection of perinatal and infant mental health problems.

Keywords: infant mental health; perinatal mental health; resilience; infant-parent interaction; healthcare organization; regulatory dysfunction; holistic health; delivery of health care integrated (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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