Abstract
Pregnancy should be a phase of happiness in anticipation of welcoming a new bundle of joy into the world. However, not all pregnant women experience joy and anticipation during their pregnancies. In some cases, pregnancy causes hormonal changes that can result in anxiety and depression. This can lead to an inability to adequately cope with the genetic, physiological, psychological, and social changes that occur during the pregnancy. These changes impair a woman’s ability to perform optimally in her activities of daily living. Her inability to cope has a detrimental effect on their unborn foetus and the family that surrounds them. The role of the midwife during the antenatal period is to identify pregnant women who are not adequately coping with their pregnancy so that they may be assisted with coping mechanisms to mitigate these changes.
Aim
This study aimed to explore and describe the knowledge that midwives have about screening pregnant women for postpartum depression (PPD) risk factors. The intention was to compile recommendations centred on the research findings so that prompt action can be taken to assist pregnant women in addressing PPD risk factors before they escalate to PPD, thus reducing the incidence.
Methods
The study followed a qualitative research design. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with sampled midwives working at the antenatal care clinics (ANC) and mother obstetric units (MOU) of community health centres (CHC) in sub-district ABCEF of Johannesburg Metro, Gauteng, South Africa. Data was analysed using Tesch’s eight-step systematic coding process. The study adhered to all relevant ethical considerations and maintained trustworthiness. Permission to conduct the study was sought from the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee, the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health (GDoH), the nursing service manager, and the operational manager at the CHC before the study commenced.