Pictorial Phenomena Expressing Maternal Representations of first time expectant mothers Demonstrating Signs of Depression

Publication date: Available online 9 February 2018 Source:The Arts in Psychotherapy Author(s): Liat Cohen-Yatziv, Sharon Snir, Dafna Regev, Ofra Shofar, Shirley Rechtman The present study examined the pictorial phenomena manifested in an art-based evaluation of women in the third trimester of their first pregnancy who presented depressive symptoms. Forty-five primigravidae in their third trimester made a mother-infant relationship drawing, filled in a questionnaire assessing their level of depressive symptoms during pregnancy (EPDS) and took part in a semi-structured in-depth interview. The drawings of the 11 women who scored above the minimum cut-off (≥10) on the questionnaire were subjected to Phenomenological Analysis combined with principles from the grounded theory method which were also associated to the semi-structured interview. Four pictorial phenomena were identified: (1) Limited use of color and a combination of blue and yellow shades, (2) Selection of rectangular format, (3) Lack of environment and details in the drawing and (4) The expression of a connection between the objects in the drawing. Three recurring themes emerged: feelings of reduction, a possible conflict between positive and negative feelings, and the idea of mother-infant separation. The findings may assist clinicians in better understanding the content in the drawings of expectant women experiencing signs of depression.
Source: Arts in Psychotherapy - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research