An exploration of the factors that influence seeking treatment from the perspective of Muslim women who have experienced postpartum depression
| dc.contributor.author | Holland, Nuhaa | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-07-23T13:38:44Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-07-23T13:38:44Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. Women often receive the support they require only once they are able to seek treatment. However, they may be reluctant to seek the required treatment owing to cultural or religious concerns. Research has proven that there is a gap in studies of mental health in Muslim communities among women. This study aimed to explore Muslim women’s accounts of the factors that influenced them to seek treatment while struggling with symptoms of PPD. This exploratory study employed a qualitative research framework using individual, semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited by means of both purposive and snowball sampling methods. Interviews were conducted through the online video platform, Google Meet. The study followed the ethics guidelines as specified by the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (BMREC) and received ethics approval and registration. All participants were informed of the nature of the study as well as their rights as participants within a research study. The study made use of thematic analysis in order to analyse the data and ATLAS ti.23 data management software was used in the process. The analysis revealed four main themes: Understandings of and experiences living with PPD; Family members perceptions and understandings of Muslim women diagnosed with PPD; Contextual factors that impacted Muslim women living with PPD; and, Mothers’ recommendations for others who live with PPD. Seeking treatment was influenced by many factors specific to the mother’s culture, background, and circumstances. Some of the factors inhibited Muslim women’s decisions to seek treatment, some contributed positively toward seeking treatment while some factors both inhibited and facilitated their decisions to seek treatment. This study adds to the limited research on factors that impacts Muslim women’s ability to seek to treatment. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10566/20576 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Universty of the Western Cape | |
| dc.subject | Postpartum Depression | |
| dc.subject | seeking treatment | |
| dc.subject | Muslim women | |
| dc.subject | facilitators to seeking treatment | |
| dc.subject | barriers to seeking treatment | |
| dc.title | An exploration of the factors that influence seeking treatment from the perspective of Muslim women who have experienced postpartum depression | |
| dc.type | Thesis |