Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 10, 2026
A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Acculturation and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms among Hispanic Women in the United States: Systematic Review
Dalia Alhasanat1, Carmen Giurgescu
1Dalia Alhasanat is a PhD student at College of Nursing, Wayne State University, College of Nursing, Detroit, MI. The author can be reached via e-mail at et1927@wayne.edu Carmen Giurgescu is an Assistant Professor at College of Nursing, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
Purpose:
The purpose of this review was to evaluate studies that examined the relationship between acculturation and postpartum depression (PPD) among immigrant and/or refugee women in the United States.
Methods:
A systematic, computer-assisted search of quantitative, English-language, peer-reviewed, published research articles was conducted in the Scopus, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Maternity and Infant Care databases using the keyword terms of "postpartum depression" and "perinatal depression" in combination with "acculturation." Studies were included if they were conducted in the United States.
Results:
Seven studies met inclusion criteria. Three studies used longitudinal designs and four used cross-sectional designs. All were conducted with Hispanic women. Only one study used a diagnostic tool to measure PPD; the remaining studies used screening tools to measure postpartum depressive symptoms. Most studies used country of birth, country of residence, and language preferences to measure acculturation. Five studies reported acculturation was positively related to risk of postpartum depressive symptoms, and two studies reported no relationship.
Clinical Implications:
Higher levels of acculturation were related to higher risk of postpartum depressive symptoms in Hispanic women living in the United States. Nurses should have an understanding of stressors of immigrant women to guide their assessment and screening for postpartum depressive symptoms and make appropriate referrals. More research is needed to confirm the relationship between acculturation and PPD among immigrant women from different cultural backgrounds.
