title: Depression among low-income women of color: qualitative findings from cross-cultural focus groups.
abstract: This article describes the experiences with depression of women with young children living in ethnically and culturally diverse, low-income communities. A qualitative ethnographic design using a focus group process was implemented in 15 communities. Despite great diversity in ethnic and cultural backgrounds, these women of color reported similar experiences with depression and described: a range of social risk factors, including domestic violence, isolation, language barriers, and difficulties with schools and other public systems; lack of access to high quality, culturally competent health and mental health services; reliance primarily on informal systems of care--relatives, friends, peers--in dealing with their depression, although many also reported good relationships with primary care practitioners. They identified: the specialty mental health sector as one to which they seldom turned for assistance, citing stigma, lack of insurance coverage, cultural beliefs, and attitudes of providers as barriers; a number of strategies for outreach and engagement with mental health providers; qualitative measures of maternal depression among women with young children; and, strategies for reaching and engaging culturally diverse mothers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Family Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA. klazear56@aol.com
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lazear
authors.forename: Sheila A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: Mareasa R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Isaacs
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chaulk
authors.forename: Larke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D016387:Women's Health; D000091762:Ethnic and Racial Minorities