Self-rated health and postnatal depressive symptoms among immigrant mothers in Québec

Data from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development were used to examine factors associated with postnatal depression and the links between self-rated health (SRH) and depressive symptoms in mothers 5 months after giving birth, according to immigration status. Postnatal depressive symptoms were measured using the 12-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Immigrant mothers were classified according to their ethnocultural (majority or minority) group and compared with Canadian-born mothers. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between SRH and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of high depressive symptoms was larger among immigrants from minority groups (24.7%) than among immigrants from majority groups (8.3%) and Canadian-born mothers 11.2%). SRH was associated with depressive symptoms among Canadian- born mothers, but not among minority immigrant mothers. Canadian- born mothers integrated mental health into their assessment of overall health status, however, depressive symptoms among minority immigrant mothers were common, and their determinants warrant further research.