TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2024//
TI  - "Saying 'I'm not okay' is extremely risky": postpartum mental health, delayed help-seeking, and fears of the child welfare system among queer parents
JO  - Family Process
A1  - Goldberg, Abbie E.
A1  - Frost, Reihonna L.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - Parent mental health challenges in the postpartum and early parenthood have profound implications for parent, child, and family well-being. Little research has focused on postpartum mental health challenges and barriers to help-seeking among queer birthing people, including members of this community who may be particularly vulnerable to mental health difficulties, such as queer cis women partnered with men, trans/nonbinary parents, and queer parents who are young, low-income, and/or of color. This mixed-methods study of queer parents (n = 99), all of whom were assigned female at birth (AFAB) and gave birth to a child within the past several years, explores parents' postpartum mental health difficulties and perceived barriers to seeking help. Using a structural stigma framework, this study found that participants reported high rates of postpartum mental health difficulties (89%) and reported various barriers to seeking support including fears of discrimination and being deemed "unfit" by providers, which might lead to child welfare system involvement. Young parents and low-income parents were particularly fearful of child welfare system contact and potential child removal. Factors that encouraged help-seeking (e.g., desire to be a good parent; partner pressure to seek help) and implications for family practitioners are discussed.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0014-7370
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/famp.13032
ID  - ref1
ER  -