title: Postpartum depression symptoms in newcomers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms are more common in newcomer women than in Canadian-born women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Refugee, nonrefugee immigrant, asylum-seeking, and Canadian-born new mothers were administered questionnaires for depression, social support, interpersonal violence, and demographic information. We created a PPD variable based on a score of > or = 10 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and performed a logistic regression analysis for PPD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immigrants (35.1%), asylum seekers (31.1%), and refugees (25.7%) were significantly more likely than Canadian-born (8.1%) women to score > or = 10 (P = 0.008) on the EPDS, with the regression model showing an increased risk (odds ratio) for refugee (4.80), immigrant (4.58), and asylum-seeking (3.06) women. Women with less prenatal care were also more likely to have an EPDS of > or = 10 (P = 0.03). Newcomer women with EPDS scores of > or = 10 had lower social support scores than Canadian-born women (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Newcomer mothers have an increased risk for PPD symptoms. Social support interventions should be tested for their ability to prevent or alleviate this risk.
authors: University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario. donna.stewart@uhn.on.ca
authors: Donna E
authors: DE
authors: Stewart
authors: Anita
authors: A
authors: Gagnon
authors: Jean-Francois
authors: JF
authors: Saucier
authors: Olive
authors: O
authors: Wahoush
authors: Geoffrey
authors: G
authors: Dougherty
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D015995:Prevalence; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires