Understanding psychological distress among mothers in rural Nepal: a qualitative grounded theory exploration

Type Journal Article - BMC psychiatry
Title Understanding psychological distress among mothers in rural Nepal: a qualitative grounded theory exploration
Author(s)
Volume 14
Issue 1
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2014
URL https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-244X-14-60
Abstract
Background
There is a large burden of psychological distress in low and middle-income countries, and culturally relevant interventions must be developed to address it. This requires an understanding of how distress is experienced. We conducted a qualitative grounded theory study to understand how mothers experience and manage distress in Dhanusha, a low-resource setting in rural Nepal. We also explored how distressed mothers interact with their families and the wider community.

Methods
Participants were identified during a cluster-randomised controlled trial in which mothers were screened for psychological distress using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with distressed mothers (GHQ-12 score ≥5) and one with a traditional healer (dhami), as well as 12 focus group discussions with community members. Data were analysed using grounded theory methods and a model was developed to explain psychological distress in this setting.

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