The perinatal mental health lived experiences of non-serving British Army mothers. A Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (LIPA) study.

Perinatal mental health difficulties affect one in five mothers in the UK, with significant consequences for maternal wellbeing, child development, and family stability. Non-Serving military spouse mothers occupy a unique position: they are not serving themselves, yet their experiences and life choices are deeply shaped by the demands of military Service, including frequent relocations, partner deployments, and disrupted support networks. These stressors can increase exposure to known risk factors for perinatal mental illness and limit access to consistent care. In military life, the impact of poor perinatal mental health extends beyond individual households, affecting operational readiness, and retention of serving personnel. Despite this, non-Serving spouses remain underrepresented in research and underserved in practice.

To identify the essence of the phenomena of motherhood within the non-Serving British Army community, within the perinatal period.

To interpret those phenomena and convey insight into the perinatal mental health experiences of non-Serving British Army mothers, in order to provide a rich understanding of their situation. 

Eight participants were interviewed online at three key time points; 28–30 weeks’ gestation, 6–8 weeks postpartum, and 10 months postpartum. Intervals were selected to mirror key clinical contact points and support the acceptance and normalisation of conversations about perinatal mental health from participants. Interviews were semi-structured and incorporated photo-elicitation, enabling participants to initiate discussions and lead conversations using images which they felt represented the recent aspects of motherhood that were most meaningful to them.

This approach facilitated in-depth exploration of participants’ psychological and social experiences whilst capturing temporal changes. A design which prioritised participant-led narratives, giving mothers agency to reflect on the factors shaping their perinatal journey. 

What are the lived perinatal mental health experiences of non-Serving British Army mothers?

How do non-Serving British Army mothers experience mental health in the perinatal period and how does this impact their transition to motherhood?

Women who were eligible to participate in the study were those in their perinatal period during the data collection timeframe, aged 18 years or older, fluent in English, and whose spouse was currently employed in the British Army. Eligible participants also had ‘accompanied status,’ meaning they relocated with their spouse on postings. A total of eight women were recruited; however, attrition across time points meant that complete data were collected for six participants.