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Objective: This study aimed to elicit and explore the experiences of teenage mothers with postpartum depression focussing on their experiences of being a teenage mother; support needs and the potential for support and education to be delivered by healthcare workers, or peers. Background: Teenage mothers are three times more likely to get postnatal depression than older mothers and are at increased risk of poorer mental health for up to three years postpartum. Method: Fifteen first-time mothers aged 16–19, living in Stoke on Trent, UK, with an infant aged under one year and suffering from postpartum depression were interviewed. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic framework analysis to identify emergent patterns and themes. Results: Four key themes emerged: stigma and perceptions of being judged; social and professional support; knowledge and information; and barriers to utilising support. Conclusion: The results highlighted the stigma, both real and perceived, that teenage mothers experienced as ...

This systematic review assessed the success of randomized controlled trials of preventative interventions for postnatal depression (PND). Outcomes examined were estimates of PND prevalence. Methodological quality was determined through the examination of key components individually with independent data extraction by all three authors. Data sources included Medline, PsycINFO, Sociofile, CINAHL, COPAC, EMBASE, Cochrane library; hand searches and a newsletter requests for unpublished trials to the Marcé Society and Postpartum Support International. Twenty-one RCTs were included in this review. Nine of these trials demonstrated short-term preventative success (seven psychological and supportive interventions, one unpublished antidepressant trial and a calcium carbonate trial) but none provided any evidence of long-term success. Furthermore, the results of three of the psychological intervention trials should be viewed with caution due to a lack of methodological rigour. There is a need for future research into the prevention of PND to be tightly designed and maybe include an exploration of the experience of postnatal depression for multiparous women.

Over half of the people who become disabled whilst employed are thought to be pressured into leaving their job. This study investigates the experience of involuntary retirement/redundancy due to disability. Three researchers who had all experienced such involuntary job loss were trained to conduct the research. Semi‐structured interviews were designed and conducted by disabled researchers. The training of the researchers enabled them to successfully conduct a research project. The results of the project show the impact of involuntary job loss due to disability to be considerable. This study would suggest that government reforms to create new opportunities for disabled people of a working age are well overdue. Although there were some problems experienced with the amount of training required and the lack of objectivity, training disabled researchers to conduct research proved to be a valuable experience for both the researchers and the facilitators.

Postnatal depression (PND) is a major public health concern, yet services are lacking. Most women with PND receive routine primary care from general practitioners, health visitors, and in a few cases community psychiatric nurses. A Parent and Baby Day Unit (PBDU) has been developed in Stoke-on-Trent and attendance at this Unit has a greater therapeutic impact on PND than routine primary care (RPC). This small pilot study elicits user views to understand the role of specialist and routine care in PND treatment and pinpoints which aspects of specialist care are important to women. Thirty women with PND attending the PBDU and 30 receiving RPC completed a questionnaire on their views of the service they received. Written comments were analysed thematically using content analytic techniques. The majority of women attending the PBDU were satisfied with this service, whereas women receiving RPC were dissatisfied with their treatment and a perceived absence of information. The main value of the PBDU seems to be one of social support. Effective communication from primary care professionals is important for women with PND and a perceived lack of information is a major cause of dissatisfaction. Availability of peer and professional support is perceived as valuable, but is insufficient within primary care.

(1958). Guidance and Teaching of Twins. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 364-366.