A Qualitative Study of Religion and Spirituality in a Perinatal Psychiatry Inpatient Unit in the Southeast USA

Religion and spirituality are important aspects of culture that can interact with mental health. They can also be central components of women’s experiences during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This study aims to explore the role of religion and spirituality among women experiencing severe psy...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religion and health 2022-02, Vol.61 (1), p.286-299
Main Authors: Cantu-Weinstein, Ashley, Cohen, Matthew J., Owens, Darryl, Schiller, Crystal Edler, Kimmel, Mary C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Clinical Psychology
Female
Humans
Inpatients
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Original Paper
Pregnancy
Psychiatry
Public Health
Qualitative Research
Religion
Religious Studies
Spirituality
Womens health
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Religion and spirituality are important aspects of culture that can interact with mental health. They can also be central components of women’s experiences during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This study aims to explore the role of religion and spirituality among women experiencing severe psychopathology during the perinatal period using qualitative interviews of women hospitalized during pregnancy or postpartum on an inpatient unit in the Southeast USA. The average age of participants was 34.2 and all identified as white, aside from one who identified as other. Though religious affiliation was varied, most participants were Christian. Each patient interviewed had a diagnosis of depressive disorder, among other comorbid diagnoses. Three main themes emerged in the subsequent analyses (1) spirituality providing a sense of healing and connectedness above and beyond religion, (2) patients seeking support from religious leaders, and (3) patients experiencing familial pressure to enact religion in a certain way, especially as it relates to child rearing. Clinical implications for each of the themes are explored.
ISSN:0022-4197
1573-6571
DOI:10.1007/s10943-021-01451-y