Experiences of social work intervention among mothers with perinatal mental health needs

TY - JOUR

T1 - Experiences of social work intervention among mothers with perinatal mental health needs

AU - Lever Taylor, Billie

AU - Mosse, Liberty

AU - Stanley, Nicky

N1 - Funding Information: Funding information This study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) Programme (Grant Reference Number RP-PG-1210-12002). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The authors are very grateful for the advice and support received from the Perinatal service user and carer Advisory Group (PAG), and from the wider study team. The authors also thank the women who gave up their time to take part in the study. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

PY - 2019/11/1

Y1 - 2019/11/1

N2 - Perinatal mental health difficulties are prevalent among women, and the vulnerability of young infants makes this a time when families experiencing multiple adversities may be particularly likely to attract state intervention. However, very little is known about how mothers experience social work intervention during the perinatal period. This study explored experiences of social work intervention among women with perinatal mental health difficulties. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out with 18 women with 6- to 9-month-old babies, who had been treated in England for a perinatal mental health difficulty and also had social services intervention. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings suggested that mothers had a predominantly negative view of children's social services, especially when social workers had significant child protection concerns. The fear of being judged an unfit mother and having their babies taken away overshadowed their encounters. Mothers felt that social workers would not accept they could be good mothers in spite of their difficulties and set them up to fail. Some felt that social workers focused exclusively on the risks to the baby and did not acknowledge the mother's own needs or understand perinatal mental health. In some cases, social work intervention was described as intensifying pressure on mothers’ mental health, leading to escalating difficulties and increased likelihood of care proceedings. At the same time, our study also included examples of mothers forming positive relationships with social workers, and of ‘turning points’ where initially negative interactions stabilised and child protection concerns lessened. Women's accounts highlighted the importance of feeling ‘known’ by social workers who understood and respected them. The findings also suggested there may be value in improving collaboration between social workers and mental health professionals to create more space for representation of women's needs as well as those of their babies.

AB - Perinatal mental health difficulties are prevalent among women, and the vulnerability of young infants makes this a time when families experiencing multiple adversities may be particularly likely to attract state intervention. However, very little is known about how mothers experience social work intervention during the perinatal period. This study explored experiences of social work intervention among women with perinatal mental health difficulties. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out with 18 women with 6- to 9-month-old babies, who had been treated in England for a perinatal mental health difficulty and also had social services intervention. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings suggested that mothers had a predominantly negative view of children's social services, especially when social workers had significant child protection concerns. The fear of being judged an unfit mother and having their babies taken away overshadowed their encounters. Mothers felt that social workers would not accept they could be good mothers in spite of their difficulties and set them up to fail. Some felt that social workers focused exclusively on the risks to the baby and did not acknowledge the mother's own needs or understand perinatal mental health. In some cases, social work intervention was described as intensifying pressure on mothers’ mental health, leading to escalating difficulties and increased likelihood of care proceedings. At the same time, our study also included examples of mothers forming positive relationships with social workers, and of ‘turning points’ where initially negative interactions stabilised and child protection concerns lessened. Women's accounts highlighted the importance of feeling ‘known’ by social workers who understood and respected them. The findings also suggested there may be value in improving collaboration between social workers and mental health professionals to create more space for representation of women's needs as well as those of their babies.

KW - child protection

KW - mothers’ perspectives

KW - perinatal mental health

KW - qualitative research

KW - social work

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85071036573&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/hsc.12832

DO - 10.1111/hsc.12832

M3 - Article

C2 - 31448471

AN - SCOPUS:85071036573

SN - 0966-0410

VL - 27

SP - 1586

EP - 1596

JO - Health and Social Care in the Community

JF - Health and Social Care in the Community

IS - 6

ER -