'Those whom I have to talk to, I can't talk to': Perceived social isolation in the context of anxiety symptoms among pregnant women in Pakistan.
Health Soc Care Community
; 30(6): e5885-e5896, 2022 11.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36121172
Anxiety during pregnancy is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The relative importance of different sources and types of perceived support in the Pakistani context is unknown. We explored social support during pregnancy and the role of social isolation in Pakistani women's experiences of antenatal anxiety. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 pregnant women with symptoms of anxiety and 10 female healthcare providers at a public urban hospital. We used inductive and deductive thematic coding to analyse the data. Many pregnant women reported feelings of physical and social isolation, even when living in joint families with larger social networks. Often fearing censure by their in-laws and peers for sharing or seeking help with pregnancy-related anxieties, women reported relying on husbands or natal family members. Normative expectations around pregnancy such as male gender preference, perceived immutability of wives' domestic responsibilities and expectations of accompanied travel by women may serve as sources of disconnectedness in the antenatal period. Providers viewed social isolation and deficits in social support during pregnancy as contributing to worse anxiety symptoms, reduced access to care and poorer health behaviours. One limitation is that the hospital setting for this study may have resulted in underreporting of abuse or neglect and limited inclusion of pregnant women who do not utilise facility-based antenatal care. In conclusion, husbands and natal families were key in reducing social isolation in pregnancy and mitigating anxiety, while in-laws did not always confer support. Targeted strategies should enhance existing support and strengthen in-law family relationships in pregnancy.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Atención Prenatal
/
Mujeres Embarazadas
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Límite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Pregnancy
País/Región como asunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Health Soc Care Community
Asunto de la revista:
CIENCIAS SOCIAIS
/
MEDICINA SOCIAL
/
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Pakistán
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido