Postpartum Depression Symptoms in Newcomers

Objectives: To determine if postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms are more common in newcomer women than in Canadian-born women. Methods: Refugee, nonrefugee immigrant, asylum-seeking, and Canadian-born new mothers were administered questionnaires for depression, social support, interpersonal violence, and demographic information. We created a PPD variable based on a score of ⩾10 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and performed a logistic regression analysis for PPD. Results: Immigrants (35.1%), asylum seekers (31.1%), and refugees (25.7%) were significantly more likely than Canadian-born (8.1%) women to score ⩾10 ( P = 0.008) on the EPDS, with the regression model showing an increased risk (odds ratio) for refugee (4.80), immigrant (4.58), and asylum-seeking (3.06) women. Women with less prenatal care were also more likely to have an EPDS of ⩾10 ( P = 0.03). Newcomer women with EPDS scores of ⩾10 had lower social support scores than Canadian-born women ( P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Newcomer mothers have an increased risk for PPD symptoms. Social support interventions should be tested for their ability to prevent or alleviate this risk.

Postpartum Depression Symptoms in Newcomers Journal Articles