Concept Analysis on “Maternal Distress”

Abstract

Maternal distress as a phenomenon that offers a new, alternative and women centered approach to understanding women’s psychological health in the transition to motherhood. The perinatal period is recognized as a period of major transition that can be exceedingly emotional, and associated with considerable distress. Based on the Walker & Avant, 2005, concept analysis methods, 25 papers have reviewed to analyze the concept of maternal distress. The defining attributes of maternal distress are summarized from several studies. These are during the transition to motherhood. Three main attributes were noted in this study are: Dynamic, adapting response, and connecting response. In addition, antecedents of maternal distress also identified: Transition of motherhood, loss of employment, sickness in the family, infant temperament, parenting stress and marital disagreement. The consequences of maternal distress were found: Low birth weight, preterm birth, spontaneous abortion, structural malformations, preeclampsia, impaired maternalfetal attachment, impaired early child development, and inability to function. This finding suggested being that nurse administrators and managers could apply this finding in Bangladesh for build up suitable intervention programs to reduce maternal distress among pregnant women that can contribute to reduce low birth weight, preterm birth, spontaneous abortion and so on.