Cesarean support groups: An exploratory study of a hospital-based crisis intervention approach.
Item
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Title
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Cesarean support groups: An exploratory study of a hospital-based crisis intervention approach.
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Identifier
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AAI9000027
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identifier
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9000027
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Creator
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Graziano, Roberta Kochanczyk.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Mildred Mailick
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Date
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1989
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social Work
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Abstract
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This exploratory study was undertaken to determine whether a program of support would help mothers who had just delivered by Cesarean section to cope better with the physical and emotional stresses of Cesarean birth. The need for special attention to this group of mothers was assessed and a model program of in-hospital support groups was designed and implemented.;A review of relevant research and a needs-assessment study supported the proposition that mothers who deliver by Cesarean section experience both the stresses of major surgery and the role transition to motherhood. However, while much attention is paid to the arrival of the new baby, little consideration has been given to the impact of the surgery or to the recovery process. A structured program which combined group support and information was thought to enable mothers to cope more effectively with both physiological and psychological stressors.;The program was implemented during 1987 in a large, urban, voluntary hospital. The sample, restricted to mothers who had just delivered by Cesarean section, consisted of fifty women. The program consisted of nineteen group meetings of approximately forty-five minutes each, with the investigator and a nurse as co-leaders.;A formative evaluation of the program indicated that the goal of developing a model for social support, including both mutual aid and education, was substantially achieved. Assessment of the program's effects on participants indicated that the opportunity to share experiences with others was most helpful. Information about the Cesarean surgery and recovery processes, pain management and self-care, common emotional reactions, and planning for the return home, was perceived by the mothers as very important in increasing their ability to cope with physical and emotional stressors.;Findings of the study suggested that knowledge both of systems and of the needs of the target population were essential to success. Future social work program efforts need to consider continuity of care and in-hospital support as important aspects of such programs.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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D.S.W.
