Skip to main content

PERSPECTIVE article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Perinatal Psychiatry
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1364845
This article is part of the Research Topic Women in Psychiatry 2023: Perinatal Psychiatry View all 10 articles

A Critical Need for the Concept of Matrescence in Perinatal Psychiatry

Provisionally accepted
Aurelie M. Athan Aurelie M. Athan *
  • Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The concept of matrescence, akin to adolescence but for mothers, has gained increasing attention in perinatal psychiatry, marking a paradigm shift towards understanding the holistic development of mothers. Matrescence encompasses the myriad psychological, social, cultural, and existential changes that occur as women transition into motherhood. Despite advances in maternal mental health, a bias towards pathologizing maternal experiences persists in research and practice. This perspective advocates for the integration of matrescence into perinatal psychiatry, drawing from the work of Dana Raphael and contemporary scholarship. Matrescence offers a strengths-based framework that acknowledges both the challenges and opportunities of motherhood, emphasizing the normative aspects of a mother's self-development. By adopting matrescence terminology and nosology, clinicians and researchers can enhance traditional psychiatric classifications. Additionally, matrescence underscores the importance of considering ecological systems and historical factors in maternal well-being, highlighting the need for comprehensive and compassionate healthcare services. Embracing matrescence as a fundamental concept in perinatal psychiatry holds promise for improving maternal mental health outcomes and promoting the flourishing of mothers worldwide.

    Keywords: Matrescence, Transition to motherhood, Maternal Mental Health, perinatal psychiatry, perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD), Reproductive health education

    Received: 03 Jan 2024; Accepted: 06 May 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Athan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Aurelie M. Athan, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.