Lay summary
Suicide is a leading cause of death for new mothers in the months after childbirth worldwide. New Zealand (NZ) and United Kingdom (UK) families reel from these deaths and the impacts that flow from poor mental health. Understanding women’s experiences of seeking and receiving support for postpartum psychiatric illness is far from complete. I propose a research programme that contributes to the improvement of health systems in NZ and the UK by exploring research and methodologies which understand women’s experiences of maternal mental health. Such research has the potential to support health and economic improvements by understanding how to improve equitable access to quality healthcare.