Acculturation and Postpartum Depression Among Immigrant Women of Arabic Descent

Acculturation has been related to risk of postpartum depression (PPD) among immigrant women globally. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between acculturation and PPD symptoms among U.S. immigrant women of Arabic descent. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 115 postpartum immigrant women of Arabic descent. Women completed questionnaires including measures of acculturation [attraction to Arabic culture (AArC), attraction to American culture (AAmC), marginalization] and PPD symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale-EPDS) between 1 and 12 months postpartum. Twenty-five percent of women (n = 29) had EPDS scores ≥ 10 that represent PPD symptoms. Women with higher marginalization reported more PPD symptoms (r = .25, p = .008). None of the acculturation factors correlated with PPD symptoms after adjustment for maternal sociodemographic and health characteristics. Higher education (p = .001), lower gestational age at birth (p < .05), and antenatal anxiety (p < .05) were correlated with PPD symptoms in multivariate analyses. Health care providers should identify and assess immigrant women of Arabic descent for antenatal anxiety as this may identify women at risk for development of PPD symptoms. Future studies need to examine acculturation in relation to mental health among immigrant women of Arabic descent.