Postpartum Depression Symptoms in Newcomers

Talbott, J. A. MD

Stewart DE, Gagnon A, Saucier J-F, et al (Univ of Toronto, Ontario; McGill Univ, Montreal, Quebec; Univ of Montreal, Quebec; et al) Can J Psychiatry 53:121-124, 2008

Year Book of Psychiatry & Applied Mental Health 2009:p 138-139, 2009.

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.