Postpartum Depression Symptoms in Various Sects of Ultra-Orthodox Society in Israel

Shimrit Prins-Engelsman1, Julie Cwikel2

  • 1The Faculty of Social Work, Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel. smritang@edu.aac.ac.il.

Ultra-Orthodox society in Israel is characterized by a higher birth rate than Israeli Jewish society. This study investigated the association of reproductive experiences among different sects of 254 ultra-Orthodox women with symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) and general depression, controlling for demographic features. PPD symptoms were found among 22% of the participants, with Sephardic women with higher rates of symptoms (34%) than women from the Lithuanian sect (16%) and Hasidic women (14%), and those who were formerly secular also had higher rates of PPD (33%) compared to 19% among those born ultra-Orthodox. Implications for health care practitioners are discussed.

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