Stigma and depression during pregnancy: does race matter?

Rates of depression treatment are low in pregnant women, particularly Black women. Stigma is an important barrier to treatment, but little research has examined how depression stigma differs in Blacks and Whites; a key purpose of this study. Participants were 532 pregnant women recruited in obstetrics settings, who responded to measures of stigma and mood. Black women reported more depression stigma than White women, regardless of their depression status, and were more likely to endorse the view that depression should be kept secret, than White women. In White women, stigma increased as a function of depression status (current, past, never). White women's perceptions of depression stigma were positively correlated with their beliefs about keeping depression secret. Secrecy and depression stigma were uncorrelated in Black women. There are important racial differences in the way depression stigma functions in pregnant women. Implications for engaging women in mental health treatment are discussed.