Mother-Infant Interaction During Postpartum Depression: A Metaphor Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Postpartum depression negatively impacts mother-infant bonding.
• Metaphors offer mothers a unique voice to express infant interaction experiences.
• Medical terminology may not capture the nuances of these experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify metaphorical expressions used by mothers describing infant interactions during postpartum depression.

Main Methods:

• Secondary qualitative data analysis of three primary qualitative datasets.
• Cross-validation of multiple datasets to support generalizable claims.
• Application of the Metaphor Identification Procedure for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Eight distinct metaphors were identified: thief, robot, enveloping fogginess, being at the races, an actor, an erupting volcano, skin crawling, and a wall.
• These metaphors illustrate diverse and often negative perceptions of infant interactions.
• The identified metaphors provide insight into the subjective experience of mothers with postpartum depression.

Conclusions:

• Attending to maternal metaphors offers a novel approach for identifying vulnerable mother-infant dyads.
• Metaphorical language can serve as an early indicator of bonding difficulties in postpartum depression.
• This approach can enhance clinical assessment and support for mothers experiencing postpartum depression.