Table 1 Summary of Included studies
Author, publication year | Country | Aims | Type of study, Sampling size & method | Participant characteristics | Data collection method | Data analysis method | Main themes and sub-themes identified | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edhborg et al., 2015 | Bangladesh | “To explore and describe the experiences and concerns during the first 3–9 months following childbirth of those mothers who showed depressive symptoms 2–3 months postpartum, in a rural area in Bangladesh” | Qualitative 21 Purposive sampling | Mothers with depressive symptoms 2–3 months postpartum | Narrative interviews | Inductive content analysis | Perceived causes of PMH (Gender of baby, IPV, Relationship with husband/in-laws, economic difficulties, spiritual) Perceived symptoms of PMH (emotional, physical) Baby’s health is most important Awareness of PMH is an enabler of accessing PMH care | Adequateb |
Goyal et al., 2020 | India | “To study psychiatric morbidity, its prevalence and cultural factors influencing illness understanding, help-seeking behaviour and barriers to care in perinatal women.” | Mixed methods (cross-sectional with a qualitative component) 27 Purposive sampling | Perinatal women with depression or anxiety screened using EPDS or PASS | Cultural Formulation Interview | Thematic interpretations | Perceived causes of PMH (spiritual) Perceived symptoms of PMH (emotional, physical) Barriers to accessing PMH care (stigma, limited resources) Friendly and confidential counselling are enablers to accessing PMH care Religious and personal coping strategies | Mediuma |
Manjrekar et al., 2018 | India | “To find out the awareness and perception of mental health problems in pregnant women residing in rural areas of India” | Cross-sectional 300 Convenience sampling | Antenatal women | Semi structured questionnaire interview | Descriptive statistics | Perceived causes of PMH (spiritual) Barriers to accessing PMH care (stigma, limited resources) Friendly and confidential counselling are enablers to accessing PMH care | Lowa |
McCauley et al., 2020 | India & Pakistan | “To explore what women attending for routine antenatal care (ANC) or postnatal care (PNC) at healthcare facilities in India and Pakistan consider health and ill health to be in general, and, what they consider health and ill health to be, during and after pregnancy” | Qualitative 130 Purposive sampling | Antenatal and postnatal women | Focus group discussions | Thematic framework analysis | Perceived causes of PMH (Gender of baby, IPV, Relationship with husband/in-laws) Perceived symptoms of PMH (emotional) Baby’s health is most important Barriers to accessing PMH care (stigma, limited resources) Enablers to accessing PMH care (awareness, friendly and confidential counselling) | Adequateb |
Poreddi et al., 2020 | India | “To explore the knowledge and attitudes of family members towards postpartum depression.” | Cross-sectional 202 Random sampling | Family members of postpartum women | Face to face interview using semi-structured questionnaire | Descriptive statistics | Perceived causes of PMH (Lack of practical support, Gender of baby, IPV, economic difficulties, spiritual) Perceptions of motherhood (baby’s health and motherhood are sacred) Barriers to accessing PMH care (stigma) Enablers to accessing PMH care (friendly and confidential counselling) | Mediuma |
Ransing et al., 2020 | India | “To assess the knowledge gap, perceptions, and misconceptions about perinatal depression at three different levels i.e. high-level service providers (e.g. specialists, general practitioners), mid-level health care providers (nurses, midwives) and service utilizers (perinatal women).” | Cross-sectional 332 Convenience sampling | 270 Perinatal women 42 Nursing providers 20 Medical practitioners | Questionnaire and online survey forms | Descriptive statistics | Perceived causes of PMH (Lack of practical support, Gender of baby, relationship with husband/in-laws) Perceived symptoms of PMH (emotional) Motherhood is sacred Barriers to accessing PMH care (stigma) Enablers to accessing PMH care (awareness, friendly and confidential counselling) | Mediuma |
Rodrigues et al., 2003 | India | “To describe attitudes and perceptions of mothers and husbands towards childbirth in Goa in order to explore the processes through which the relationship between social adversity and PND is mediated.” | Qualitative 39 Purposive sampling | Postpartum mothers (19 with postpartum depression) and their husbands | In-depth interviews | Thematic analysis | Perceived causes of PMH (Lack of practical support, Gender of baby, IPV, relationship with husband/in-laws, economic difficulties) Perceived symptoms of PMH (physical, emotional) Baby’s health is most important Barriers to accessing PMH care (stigma, limited resources) | Adequateb |
Williams et al., 2018 | Bangladesh | “To understand the cultural attitudes, from both new mothers and maternal health professionals, towards mental health post-childbirth.” | Qualitative 70 Purposive sampling | 36 postpartum mothers 34 medical personnel | In-depth interviews | Thematic analysis | Perceived causes of PMH (Lack of practical support, IPV, economic difficulties) Perceived symptoms of PMH (physical) Perceptions of motherhood (baby’s health and motherhood are sacred) Barriers to accessing PMH care (stigma, limited resources) | Adequateb |