Abstract
Refugee, asylum seeking, non-refugee, and immigrant new mothers with depressive symptoms, were interviewed in a qualitative study to better understand their (a) experiences and attributions of depressive symptoms, (b) their experiences with health care providers and support services, (c) factors that facilitated or hindered help seeking, (d) factors that aided recovery or (e) were associated with women continuing to experience symptoms of depression. Ten immigrant new mothers who scored 10 or over on the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale shortly after giving birth, participated 12 to 18 months later in postpartum semi-structured interviews which were taped, transcribed and analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Many women attributed their depressive symptoms to social isolation, physical changes, feeling overwhelmed and financial worries. They had poor knowledge of community services. Barriers to care included stigma, embarrassment, language, fear of being labeled an unfit mother, or the attitude of some staff. Facilitators to recovery included social support from friends, partners and family, community support groups, “getting out of the house”, or personal psychological adjustment. Personal and systematic barriers exist in new immigrant mothers obtaining care for symptoms of depression. Suggestions for improvements are offered.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (2001) Planning now for Canada’s future: introducing a multi-year planning process and the immigration plan for 2001 and 2002. Accessed at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pub/anrep01.html
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (2002) Facts and Figures 2002: Immigration overview. Accessed at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pub/facts2002/immigration/immigration_7.html
Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R (1987) Detection of postnatal depression: development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Br J Psychiatry 150:782–786
Dennis CL (2004) Can we identify mothers at risk for postpartum depression in the immediate postpartum period using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale? J Affect Disord 78:163–169
Dennis CL, Chung-Lee L (2006) Postpartum depression help-seeking barriers and maternal treatment preferences: a qualitative review. Birth 33:323–331
Dennis CL, Janssen PA, Singer J (2004) Identifying women at risk for postpartum depression in the immediate postpartum period. Acta Psychiatr Scand 110:338–346
Glaser B, Strauss A (1967) Discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research. Aldine, New York
Mauthner NS (1999) Feeling low and feeling really bad about feeling low: women’s experience of motherhood and postpartum depression. Can Psychol 40:143–161
Nahas VL, Hillege S, Amasheh N (1999) Postpartum depression: the lived experience of Middle Eastern migrant women in Australia. J Nurse Midwifery 44:65–74
Nicolson P (1999) Loss, happiness and postpartum depression: the ultimate paradox. Can J Psych 40:162–178
O’Hara MW, Swain AM (1996) Rates and risk of postpartum depression—a meta analysis. Rev Psychiatry 8:37–54
Rojas G, Fritsch R, Solis J, Jadresic E, Castillo C, González M, Guajardo V, Lewis G, Peters TJ, Araya R (2007) Treatment of postnatal depression in low-income mothers in primary-care clinics in Santiago, Chile: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 370:1629–1637
Small R, Yelland J, Lumley J, Brown S, Liamputtong P (2002) Immigrant women’s views about care during labor and birth: an Australian study of Vietnamese, Turkish, and Filipino women. Birth 29:266–277
Small R, Lumley J, Yelland J (2003) Cross-cultural experiences of maternal depression: associations and contributing factors for Vietnamese, Turkish and Filipino immigrant women in Victoria, Australia. Ethn Health 8:189–206
Stewart DE, Gagnon A, Saucier JF, Wahoush O, Dougherty G (2008) Postpartum depression symptoms in newcomers. Can J Psych 53:121–124
US Department of Homeland Security (2006). Accessed at: http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/index.htm
Whitley R, Kirmayer LJ, Groleau D (2006) ‘Understanding immigrants’ reluctance to use mental health services: a qualitative study from Montreal. Can J Psych 51:205–209
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ahmed, A., Stewart, D.E., Teng, L. et al. Experiences of immigrant new mothers with symptoms of depression. Arch Womens Ment Health 11, 295–303 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0025-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0025-6