Tackling the challenges of transitioning to parenthood in forced migrant women: A longitudinal study adopting a salutogenic approach

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This research will explore the experiences and unmet needs of Forced Migrant Women's (FMW) transition to parenthood in the UK and will inform the development of interdisciplinary support services. There are grand challenges around these women's mental health inequalities and their baby's developmental needs. The findings will lead to tailored services to meet FMW's transition needs, improving access to services, and reducing mental health inequalities. This innovative research will combine a social constructionism perspective with a longitudinal salutogenic approach, with photovoice data collection methods. The project idea originated from consulting FMW who believed that selecting powerful photographs and stories to represent feelings would be empowering as well as informing services (1; 2). Becoming a mother is a complex individual experience and a major life event (3), shaped by society and politics (4). Difficulties transitioning to parenthood can lead to postnatal depression, and attachment and parenting problems (5) that damage the mother/child relationship and the child's later development (6). Research supports Western women's transition to parenthood, but little relates to FMW. The psychological impact of transitioning to parenthood is exacerbated in FMW (7; 8; 9). Fleeing war or persecution (10) leads to health inequalities (e.g., post-natal depression and increased maternal mortality) (11; 12). The culminative effect of trauma, poverty, and UK hostility towards migration leads to poor underlying mental health (13). FMW's specific needs during the transition to parenthood are unknown and unmet (10; 14) and their children face life-long psychopathology from disorganised attachment (15) and parental post-traumatic stress disorder (16). Pregnant FMW can have poor access to and experiences of UK health services (e.g., charging for services and hostile staff) (14; 17). Services tend to focus on Western parenting practices and sociocultural norms (18; 19) and not FMW's cultural beliefs about transitioning to parenthood (19), so services are often perceived as inappropriate/irrelevant. Research is needed to understand FMW's needs and ensure that support services meet them.