Summary
Suicide is a leading cause of maternal death during the perinatal period, which includes pregnancy and the year after birth. While maternal suicide is a relatively rare event with a prevalence of 3.84 per 100,000 live births in the UK, the impact of maternal suicide is profound and long-lasting. Many more women will attempt suicide during the perinatal period, with a worldwide estimated prevalence of 680 per 100,000 in pregnancy and 210 per 100,000 in the year after birth.
This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of women and birthing people who had a perinatal suicide attempt and to understand the context and contributing factors surrounding their perinatal suicide attempt. The researchers spoke to women with lived experience of perinatal mental illness. Their results highlighted three key themes:
- Trauma and Adversities which captures the traumatic events and life adversities with which participants started their pregnancy journeys.
- Disillusionment with Motherhood which brings together a range of sub-themes highlighting various challenges related to pregnancy, birth and motherhood resulting in a decline in women’s mental health.
- Entrapment and Despair which presents a range of factors that lead to a significant deterioration of women’s mental health, marked by feelings of failure, hopelessness and losing control.
The authors called for further research into these factors which could lead to earlier detection of suicide risk, improving care and potentially prevent future maternal suicides.
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