Women’s Perceived Barriers to Mental Health Help-Seeking for Post-Partum Depression: Insights from Mabvazuva Estate in Goromonzi District, Zimbabwe

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived potential barriers and challenges to mental health help-seeking for post-partum depression in women. Data were collected by means of in-depth interviews from a convenient sample of 15 women who have experienced post-partum depression. Participants were queried as to the symptoms of post-partum depression, possible coping mechanisms, if they had any support for their mental health, what they perceived to be the barriers or hindrances to seeking help for their mental health, the advice they would give to other women going through the same experience. The participants were also asked about the solutions they would recommend addressing these problems. Findings from the research revealed that the greatest perceived barriers to seeking help were lack of knowledge about PPD, inability to distinguish between depression and the emotional maladjustment that comes with becoming a parent, difficulty determining the severity of depressive symptoms, unawareness of the services that are available and the advantages of those services. Additionally, unfulfilled expectations for motherhood, extreme vulnerability, shame, and guilt, as well as the experience of stigma associated with both mental health problems and the idea that having PPD implies failing as a mother were also identified as potential barriers to seeking help. All the respondents indicated that there was indeed lack of support for women experiencing postpartum depression. There was also a consensus on the most prevalent symptoms for post-partum depression including but not limited to depressed mood, social withdrawal, loss of appetite, insomnia, severe anxiety and panic attacks and loss of energy. When asked what advise they would give to other women struggling with post-partum depression, most of the respondents indicated recommending professional help as opposed to suffering in silence. In addition, most of the women expressed a preference for integrated strategies that included all facets of society and lessened the burden of postpartum mental illness on women. Better treatment rates for depression and potential improvements to the general health of women who are of a childbearing age could result from knowing what discourages women from seeking or receiving care for depression related to childbirth and what kind of treatment they prefer.