Exploring the trials of early parenthood
Associate Professor Renata Kokanovic
A new research project will delve into the experiences of Australian parents, up to a third of whom are thought to experience some form of emotional distress during pregnancy and early parenthood.
Associate Professor Renata Kokanovic, a sociologist who leads the Health and Society Research Program at the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Faculty of Arts has been awarded close to half a million dollars to research Emotional Experiences of Early Parenthood in Australian Families from Healthdirect Australia, a leading national online and telephone health information and advice service.
"Despite considerable research in the area of perinatal mental health and distress, very little of this has been qualitative exploration of emotional experiences of early parenthood that looks beyond experiences of distress in new mothers to consider the broader social context and the diverse family and parenting arrangements that characterise contemporary life in Australia," Associate Professor Kokanovic said.
“For example, comparatively little is known about the experiences of fathers and partners, and in particular experiences of different family types such as single parents, same-sex parents, blended families, families with adopted children, and families from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.”
The study is the first of its kind in Australia and will involve video or audio recorded narrative interviews with 40-50 women and men about their emotional experiences during pregnancy and early parenthood.
The interviews will be used to develop a public website aimed at supporting expecting and new parents, their families and friends, and informing health and allied health professionals, researchers and policymakers.
"The study will contribute to understanding how diverse families could be best supported to emotionally adjust to pregnancy and early parenthood and how and by whom they might be best supported,” Associate Professor Kokanovic said.
The website will provide the public with a non-commercial, reliable, research-based resource founded on a rigorous analysis of the experiences of a broad sample of men, women and their partners. It will be launched in mid-2014 and will form part of Healthdirect Australia's online presence, Healthinsite, and that of DIPEx Australia - a research consortium of which Associate Professor Renata Kokanovic is a founding Co-director.
Using similar methodology Associate Professor Kokanovic has completed research on Experiences of Depression and Recovery in Australia. For more information see Health Talk Online.