Women's stories of depression : a constructivist approach

The purpose of this study was to allow depressed women to tell their stories about depression. The epistemological framework was that of constructivism. The study involved a series of in-depth interviews with three depressed women with young children. Their stories provide an alternative reality to the traditional way of viewing depression. The major themes that emerged from the participants' stories seemed to be linked to the way in which they found themselves being pulled in opposite directions, ending up in a 'no-win situation', with the 'stuckness' maintaining the depression. The recurring themes centre around : Divided loyalties; failure to meet expectations; control; competence versus incompetence; love and rejection experienced by the 'special child'; rootedness versus alienation; confrontation versus avoidance of issues and problems and; the role of support. The themes identified in this study may be helpful to those who work with depressed women in both a Western and African context.