Chapter 6 138 disorders considering the fluctuating aspect of family planning. Distinguishing between various psychiatric disorders and their unique impact on decision-making could provide a more nuanced understanding, possibly through individual in-depth interviews. As women with unintended pregnancies and psychiatric disorders may experience more challenges with family planning decision-making, it would be interesting to include these women in future research. Conclusions Our study sheds light on family planning decisions among women with psychiatric disorders. Like women without psychiatric disorders, past experiences, socioeconomic status, and perceptions on the desire for children shape decision-making. We found that traumatic events have a lasting impact on family planning choices. Stigma, uncertainty about parenting skills, and concerns about transmitting psychiatric disorder(s) contribute to ambivalence about having children. Feelings of regret, grief and relief regarding these decisions reflect the influence of psychiatric disorders. Our results emphasize that women with psychiatric disorders deserve support tailored to their needs, e.g. the possibility to discuss family planning at perinatal mental health facilities. Moreover, healthcare professionals could consider offering ongoing emotional support beyond the reproductive phase to those reflecting on their family planning decisions. Acknowledgements We express our gratitude to all the women who participated in the focus group discussions. Additionally, we extend our appreciation to Yente Dubbeldam for her contribution to data cleaning and analysis.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw