Clinical Application of Narrative Therapy in the Treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Pregnancy and postpartum are full of developmental change for both women and their families. Family members are adjusting to their new roles in the family and women are beginning to define their abilities as a mother and caretaker. For some women, their experience during this time is convoluted by the experience of a perinatal mood and/or anxiety disorder (PMAD). In these cases, women's self of competency or mastery in their role as a mother can become entangled, leading to insecurities along with their depression or anxiety symptoms. Medication treatments and psychotherapy interventions have been established to address the mood and anxiety symptoms and to support the family system. However, a treatment is needed that addresses the PMAD symptoms and the internalization of women's feelings and emotions experienced during this impressionable and often defining time. In this article, we explore the use of Narrative Family Therapy as a way to help women deconstruct unhelpful narratives they may have created during pregnancy and postpartum. A case study is provided to illustrate how Narrative Family Therapy can be used to emotionally reauthor women's stories, and construct new meanings by separating their PMAD symptoms from their identity as a mother.

The Associations between Social Support and Mental Health among Chinese Immigrant Pregnant and Parenting Women

“…Extensive research consistently highlights the prevalence of mental health concerns during the pregnancy and postpartum periods [4][5][6]. These critical phases are characterized by signi cant physical, emotional, and social changes, contributing to heightened mental health concerns [7][8][9][10]. Additionally, postpartum depressive symptoms can impact children's neurodevelopment and overall health [11][12][13][14], and such symptoms and effects can last beyond the initial year after childbirth [15][16][17].…”