Men's experiences of having a partner who requires Mother and Baby Unit admission for first episode postpartum psychosis.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of men during their partner's admission to a Mother and Baby Unit for first episode postpartum psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum psychosis can be life-changing for women, however little is known about the impact on their partners or their partners' needs.

DESIGN: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was used to analyse interview transcripts.

METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants. Interviews were conducted in 2014-2015.

FINDINGS: Two main themes were identified: 'What the f*** is going on?' and 'Time to figure out how your family works'. Partners experienced shock and confusion during postpartum psychosis onset. Most felt hospital admission was beneficial, although there were barriers to accessing help and involvement in their partner's care. A process of understanding changes to roles, relationships and family identity was described. Loss was a common experience, with a potentially lasting impact.

CONCLUSIONS: Men reported a range of challenging and positive experiences associated with their partner's postpartum psychosis. Improvements are needed in awareness of postpartum psychosis, access to appropriate services and support of partners.