Postpartum depression in immigrant Hispanic women: a comparative community sample

To determine whether a high rate of postpartum depression (PPD), previously found in immigrant Hispanic women at a community clinic, would also be found in a community sample.

Sixty women from local community settings were given the PPDS-S instrument and the General Acculturation Index to screen for PPD symptoms. Data were then compared with previously published community clinic data.

Sixty percent of the immigrant Hispanic women showed significant PPD. The only statistically significant positive predictive factor for increased PPD symptoms was having a previous history of depression. In addition, 54% had an elevated symptom content profile score for suicidal thinking.

Health practitioners should be aware of a potentially high rate of PPD in this population, especially in light of previously studied increased rates of suicide attempts in Latinas. If a prior history of depression is predictive of PPD, it is possible that many of the mothers in our sample suffered from depression prior to the postpartum period, but were not appropriately diagnosed or treated. Recommendations for outreach and further research are discussed. In particular, further research regarding the prenatal prevalence of depression in immigrant Hispanic women is recommended in order to further understand the high incidence of PPD.