Study looks at role of new mothers' birthplace & race in determining likelihood of experiencing depression, seeking help
A new study published in the December 15, 2006 issue of the Maternal and Child Health Journal "Online First" found "significant differences for depressive symptomatology in new mohters by race/ethnicity and nativity."
The study's data came from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort Nine-Month Survey, a study of home and care experiences of a nationally-representative cohort of children from birth through first grade who were born in the U.S. in 2001. But the current study's analysis looked only at mothers with infants under age one who had participated in the home interview and had a valid CES-D (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale) score. They also looked at sub-samples of mothers who had "moderate" or "severe" depression.
Here's a summary of findings from the MCH Library at Georgetown University (bolding emphasis is mine):
* Among non-Hispanic whites, no significant difference was found in the prevalence of depressive symptoms by nativity.
* Among non-Hispanic blacks, compared to their U.S.-born counterparts, foreign-born mothers had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in the mild and severe categories.
* Among Hispanics, foreign-born mothers had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in every category.
* Among Asians, compared to their U.S.-born counterparts, most foreign-born mothers had a higher prevalence of any depressive symptom.
* Filipina mothers reported significantly higher percentages of depressive symptoms in every category (mild, moderate, severe) compared to Asian mothers as a whole.
* Among mothers who had moderate to severe depression symptomatology, the majority (58.7%) did not feel they needed help, and 74.2% did not talk to any health professional about the symptoms.
* Minority mothers and foreign-born mothers were about twice as likely not to think they needed
help or not to talk to any health professional compared to non-Hispanic white mothers and U.S.-born mothers, respectively.
Reference:
Huang ZJ, Wong FY, Ronzio CR, et al. 2007. Depressive symptomatology and mental health help-seeking patterns of U.S.- and foreign-born mothers. Maternal and Child Health Journal Online First, published online December 15, 2006.
More information is available from the MCH Library's knowledge path, Postpartum Depression, at
http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_postpartum.html.
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