Abstract:
Postpartum depression can be defined as a major depressive disorder which usually occurs during the postpartum period within one month or more after giving birth. Literature shows that 35 to 47 per cent of South African women have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Studies stated that the challenges in the South African context regarding the postpartum period includes detachment from care and lack of a support system. Emotions are typically present in the context of relationships, in this case a mother and child relationship. However, research on early childhood has emphasised that the impact of the first five years of a child’s life on his/her social and emotional development is crucial, since children must learn to communicate with emotional language. The role of the mother in a young child’s emotional development is crucial, as the mother models certain behaviour to be imitated by the infant. A phenomenological and multiple case studies research design were followed throughout this qualitative research study. As the aim of the study was to provide information and guidelines for mothers who suffer from postpartum depression, the sample selection focused on participants (mothers) who had experienced postpartum depression and who, in retrospect, could give information about their experience and their perceptions of the effect this syndrome had on the emotional development of their children. Three mothers who were diagnosed with postpartum depression were the participants of this study. In order to get rich in-depth data, they were each interviewed and had to compile a narrative describing their experience with postpartum depression and the effect it had on their child’s emotional development. The three case studies provided a unique insight into the effect of postpartum depression on a young child’s emotional development according to the mother’s experience of postpartum depression. The empirical part of the study revealed that postpartum depression has a severe effect on a child’s emotional regulation and that support was an integral part in overcoming depression.
