Franziska Wadephul af.wadephul@hull.ac.ukcorrespondingauthorbl.f.glover@hull.ac.ukcj.jomeen@hull.ac.uk
Conceptualising women's perinatal well-being: a systematic review of theoretical discussions
Wadephul, Franziska; Glover, Lesley; Jomeen, Julie
Abstract
Background: Perinatal well-being has increasingly become the focus of research, clinical practice and policy. However, attention has mostly been on a reductionist understanding of well-being based on a mind-body duality. Conceptual clarity around what constitutes well-being beyond this is lacking.
Aim: To systematically review theoretical discussions of perinatal well-being in the academic literature.
Design and methods: A search of online databases identified papers which discussed perinatal well-being theoretically, taking a multi-dimensional approach to well-being. Thematic synthesis was used to identify and synthesize relevant elements within the included papers.
Findings: Eight papers were identified for inclusion in this review. All contributed a number of elements towards a theoretical discussion of perinatal well-being. Three themes were developed: (1) the importance of a number of general domains of women’s lives and domains specific to the perinatal period, (2) well-being as a subjective and individual experience with physical/embodied, affective, and psychological/cognitive aspects, and (3) the dynamic nature of well-being.
Conclusions and implications for practice: Perinatal well-being is a complex, multi-dimensional construct. Current theoretical discussions in the academic literature do not provide a comprehensive model or conceptualisation covering all aspects of well-being during the perinatal period. Further theoretical work is required, particularly with regards to theorising well-being during labour and birth, the perinatal period as a continuum, and the role played by women’s expectations. The themes identified in this review contribute to a tentative model of perinatal well-being, taking note particularly of the dynamic nature of well-being. This model should be refined and validated through empirical work and can then be used to underpin further research and the development of a multi-dimensional measure of perinatal well-being.
Citation
Wadephul, F., Glover, L., & Jomeen, J. (2019). Conceptualising women's perinatal well-being: a systematic review of theoretical discussions. Midwifery, TBC, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2019.102598
Journal Article Type | Review |
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Acceptance Date | Dec 2, 2019 |
Publication Date | 2019-12 |
Deposit Date | Dec 3, 2019 |
Publicly Available Date | Jan 1, 2021 |
Journal | Midwifery |
Print ISSN | 0266-6138 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | TBC |
Article Number | 102598 |
Series ISSN | ISSN 0266-6138 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2019.102598 |
Keywords | Perinatal well-being; maternal well-being; pregnancy; birth; postnatal; systematic review |
Public URL | https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3278686 |
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