Abstract
Black women remain underrepresented within UK perinatal mental health research despite evidence of persistent ethnic inequalities in maternal mental health outcomes and care. Although qualitative research has increasingly explored Black women's experiences of mental healthcare during the perinatal period in the UK, less is known about the common factors shaping access to, engagement with, and experiences of care. Furthermore, little is known about Black women's experiences of complex perinatal mental health difficulties, including postpartum psychosis. Therefore, this portfolio contributes to the evidence base by combining a systematic review with an empirical qualitative study that explores different aspects of Black women's perinatal mental health.
Part one of this portfolio presents a systematic review synthesising qualitative evidence on Black women's experiences of accessing, engaging with, and receiving mental health care during the perinatal period in the UK. The review demonstrates how interpersonal, cultural, and structural factors shape women's experiences of care, trust, and help-seeking. Part two presents an empirical study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore how Black mothers made sense of their journeys through postpartum psychosis from onset to recovery. Together, the systematic review and empirical study provide complementary perspectives on Black women's perinatal mental health by examining both experiences of mental healthcare and the lived experience of postpartum psychosis. Collectively, the portfolio highlights the importance of compassionate, culturally responsive, and person-centred approaches to supporting Black women experiencing perinatal mental health difficulties while identifying priorities for future research, clinical practice, and service development.