Experiences of first time mothers with postnatal depression among black sub-Sahara African communities in the West Midlands, England

Abstract Background The black sub-Sahara African communities became visible in UK demography in the run up to the new millennium. This is a growing migrant community with health and maternity related needs that are not fully understood owing to the scarcity of research. This study explored the lived experiences of first time mothers coping with postnatal depression as immigrants in a foreign land. Methods A phenomenological qualitative approach underpinned by the Silences Framework was used. Data were collected through nine researcher-moderated focus groups (60 min) with eight participants and two follow-up one-to-one interviews (30 min) from each focus group. Participants were aged between 18 and 35 years. The data were guided by the Silences Framework analytical stages. Participants were first time black sub-Sahara African mothers invited from communities in three cities of Birmingham Coventry and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, UK. All participants had self-identified postnatal depression. Lived experiences of first time mothers were discussed with the research participants during the focus groups within 12 months of childbirth. Ethical approval was gained from the regional sexual health promotion service, and all participants gave written informed consent. Findings The themes from the study illustrated the challenge new mothers faced of being without the physical, emotional, and teaching support normally provided by relatives while recovering from the physical and emotional effects of childbirth. This difficulty left them feeling that they did not have the important skills for infant care, leading them to experience high anxiety. Most of the mothers indicated loneliness and moments of depression due to the changing roles in being a new mother. Interpretation This is the first time, to our knowledge, that a study has been carried out to understand the experience of first time mothers from black sub-Sahara African communities in the UK. This study provides important insights to the challenges facing first time mothers within migrant communities. The Silences Framework was key in bringing out stigmatised issues such as depression, since it was developed to research sensitive or marginalised views and make an important contribution to the design and delivery of local services. Funding None.