EXPERIENCES OF TURKISH ACADEMIC MOTHERS WITH POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION: A DIFFICULT TRANSITION FROM ACADEMIA TO MOTHERHOOD

Date

2024-12-05

Author

Girgin Kardeş, Fatma

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Becoming a mother and transitioning to motherhood is one of the most important and complex experiences of women. The transition to motherhood is viewed as a developmental stage in which comprehensive changes occur, relationships with others are reshaped, and a new identity is formed within these relationships. Many mothers experience various difficulties during this period. Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most prevalent challenges encountered in the transition to motherhood and is one of the most important conditions affecting the mother-child relationship. Therefore, it is crucial to examine factors that influence the mothers psychological process and her relationship with her baby. Therefore, in this study, it was aimed to examine the experiences of Turkish academic mothers experiencing PPD. In this context, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Turkish academic first-time mothers with PPD between the ages of 30 and 40. The data obtained from these interviews were analyzed by using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three main themes emerged as the outcome of the analysis. These were (1) An uphill struggle: Making sense of unexpected situations throughout pregnancy and delivery; (2) mothers need to be seen and cared for: They fell short in taking care of me, and (3) Difficulties navigating identity shift and new roles during the transition to motherhood. These themes are discussed in relation to the relevant literature; also, clinical implications were explained in detail. Finally, recommendations for future research are provided.

Subject Keywords

Motherhood, Matreseance, Becoming a mother, Postpartum depression (PPD), Interpretative phenomenological analysis, Psychoanalysis

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/112965

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis