Relationship between social support and postpartum depression in migrant and non-migrant first-time mothers

This study examines the relationship between social status and postpartum depression by migrant generation and determines whether social support moderates the relationship between migrant generations and postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression (PPD) afflicts more than 1 in 10 childbearing women worldwide; and this mental health problem may be higher among vulnerable populations of women such as migrants, an increasingly prevalent group in many countries. Social support and migrant generation (1^st generation-mother and her parents born outside the host country; 2^nd generation-mother born in the host country but not her parents; 2.5 generation-mother and one parent born in the host country) may contribute to the conflicting findings on migrant mothers and postpartum depression.

This study used a cross-sectional design.

Sample recruitment of migrant and non-migrant first-time mothers (n=515) was implemented through an online platform. A STROBE checklist guided the reporting of this study.

PPD was lower among mothers with social support. While social support was negatively associated with PPD for all mothers, PPD was not associated with migrant generation nor was a moderation effect found.

Social support is negatively associated with PPD for all mothers, but levels of PPD for migrant mothers may be linked to country-specific healthcare resources and immigration policies. Immigrant policies influence migrant mothers' healthcare access; thus, immigration policies may influence PPD among first-time migrant mothers and the manner in which nurses can provide formal support. This study finds that social support, including the formal social support provided by nurses, decreases the likelihood of PPD. Demands on nurses' technical and assessment skills are high, but nurses also need to remember that their skills of providing social support are equally important, and for first-time mothers, may contribute to decreasing PPD.