Prevalence of postpartum depression among Hispanic immigrant women.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) among Hispanic immigrant women seeking healthcare services at a community health clinic.

DATA SOURCES: Of the 116 Hispanic immigrant women recruited, 96 comprised the final sample. Using the Beck PDSS-Spanish version, participants were screened for symptoms of PPD.

CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of significant symptoms of PPD was 54.2% for the entire sample. Nearly 66% of women who screened positive for symptoms of PPD scored above the listed cutoff score for suicidal thoughts. Women were divided into four postpartum age groups from 2 to 48 weeks; rates of symptoms of PPD ranged from 50% to 60.9% among the groups. There were no statistically significant demographic predictors for PPD.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Given that a large number of Hispanic women do not return for postpartum appointments, along with the high rates of PPD symptoms, it is strongly recommended that healthcare providers implement universal screening for all Hispanic women in pregnancy and across the first postpartum year to ensure prompt diagnosis and culturally appropriate treatment. Further research is needed to assess the cultural components of PPD and to determine if the prevalence is consistent in other community settings.