Perinatal mental health staff experiences of working with mothers diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder

Background: When women diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) become mothers, much of the research has focused on the psychological outcomes of their children. Currently, there is very little evidence into how these mothers respond to perinatal mental health services and no research in the United Kingdom exploring how perinatal mental health staff engage with mothers who have this diagnosis. Aim: The aim of this research was to explore how perinatal mental health staff work effectively with mothers who have an EUPD diagnosis and to ascertain their views on the adequacy of perinatal service provision for women who have this diagnosis. Method: Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the experiences of 13 perinatal mental health staff who engaged in semi-structured interviews. Staff were recruited from three NHS trusts in England. Results: Six themes and 13 subthemes were identified: Let’s Talk About Labels; We’re in This Together – The Work is Relational; The Fit Between Staff and Service; The Importance of Feeling Valued; Trying to Navigate a Complex System; Where Does the Responsibility Lie? Conclusion: The results of this study have highlighted the ways in which perinatal staff feel they work effectively with mothers who have an EUPD diagnosis, namely through relational working. Furthermore, it has highlighted the social, organisational and systemic influences which staff feel impact perinatal service provision for women with an EUPD diagnosis. As a result of these findings, numerous clinical implications and recommendations have been made.