Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research
Published in: The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 3/2017

01-07-2017

Postpartum Traditions, Mental Health, and Help-Seeking Considerations Among Vietnamese American Women: a Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

Published in: The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research | Issue 3/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore Vietnamese American mothers’ perceptions and experiences with postpartum traditions, postpartum depression (PPD), and mental health help-seeking behavior. Participants were 15 Vietnamese mothers who had given birth to at least one live infant within the previous year. A screening tool revealed that a third of the mothers had probable PPD. More than half reported having recent/current postpartum “sadness” during the interviews. Postpartum traditions played important roles in their well-being and maintaining strong cultural values. However, some reported feelings of isolation and the desire to be able to carry out postpartum traditions more frequently. Many who had reported sadness said that they would not seek professional help; all had felt that their condition was not “severe” enough to warrant help-seeking. Future PPD interventions should consider the importance of postpartum cultural traditions and address help-seeking barriers as ways to prevent the adverse effects of untreated PPD.
Literature
1.
Ta VM, Juon HS, Gielen AC, et al. Disparities in use of mental health and substance abuse services by Asian and Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander women. Journal of Behavorial Health Services and Research. 2008; 35(1): 20–36.CrossRef
2.
3.
Hayes DK, Ta VM, Hurwitz EL, et al. Disparities in self-reported postpartum depression among Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Women in Hawaii: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2004–2007. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2010; 14(5): 765–773.CrossRefPubMed
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Hinton WL, Tiet Q, Tran CG, et al. Predictors of depression among refugees from Vietnam: a longitudinal study of new arrivals. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 1997; 185(1): 39–45.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Vaage AB, Thomsen PH, Silove D, et al. Long-term mental health of Vietnamese refugees in the aftermath of trauma. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2010; 196(2): 122–125.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Ta VM, Juon HS, Gielen AC, et al. A longitudinal analysis of depressive symptoms among Asian and Pacific Islander mothers at-risk for child maltreatment. Community Mental Health Journal. 2009; 45(1): 42–55.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Leung P, Cheung M, Cheung A. Vietnamese Americans and depression: A health and mental health concern. Social Work in Mental Health. 2010; 8(6): 526–542.CrossRef
12.
Fisher JR, Morrow MM, Ngoc NT, et al. Prevalence, nature, severity and correlates of postpartum depressive symptoms in Vietnam. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2004; 111(12): 1353–1360.CrossRef
13.
Tran T, Pham TL, Harpham T, et al. Young Lives Preliminary Country Report: Vietnam. In: UK SC, ed. Young Lives: An International Study of Childhood Poverty. Vol 57. Hanoi: RTCCD; 2003.
14.
Kawahara DM, Fu M. The Psychology and Mental Health of Asian American Women. In: Leong FTL, Iman A, Ebreo A, Yang L, et al., eds. Handbook of Asian American psychology. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications; 2007:181–196.
15.
Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R. Detection of postnatal depression. Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 1987; 150(6): 782–786.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Wisner K, Perel J, Peindl K, et al.. Prevention of recurrent postpartum depression: a randomized clinical trial. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2001; 62(2): 82–86.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Gibson J, McKenzie-McHarg K, Shakespeare J, et al. systematic review of studies validating the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in antepartum and postpartum women. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 2009; 119(5): 350–364.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Stuchbery M, Matthey S, Barnett B. Postnatal depression and social supports in Vietnamese, Arabic and Anglo-Celtic mothers. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 1998; 33(10): 483–490.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Small R, Lumley J, Yelland J. Cross-cultural experiences of maternal depression: associations and contributing factors for Vietnamese, Turkish and Filipino immigrant women in Victoria, Australia. Ethnicity and Health. 2003; 8(3): 189–206.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Aday LA, Andersen R. A framework for the study of access to medical care. Health Services Research. 1974; 9(3): 208–220.PubMedPubMedCentral
21.
Andersen R, Harada N, Chiu V, et al. Application of the Behavioral Model to Health Studies of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. Asian American and Pacific Islander Journal of Health. 1995; 3(2): 128–141.PubMed
22.
Babitsch B, Gohl D, von Lengerke T. Re-revisiting Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use: a systematic review of studies from 1998–2011. Psycho-Social Medicine. 2012;9:Doc11PubMedPubMedCentral
23.
Small R, Astbury J, Brown S, et al. Depression after childbirth. Does social context matter? Medical Journal of Australia.1994; 161(8): 473–477.PubMed
24.
Fancher TL, Ton H, Le Meyer O, et al. Discussing depression with Vietnamese American patients. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 2010; 12(2): 263–266.CrossRefPubMed
25.
26.
Davis RE. The postpartum experience for southeast Asian women in the United States. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing. 2001; 26(4): 208–213.PubMed
27.
Fisher JR, Tran H, Tran T. Relative socioeconomic advantage and mood during advanced pregnancy in women in Vietnam. International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 2007; 1(1): 3.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
28.
Lundberg PC, Trieu TN. Vietnamese women's cultural beliefs and practices related to the postpartum period. Midwifery. 2011; 27(5): 731–736.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Wadd L. Vietnamese postpartum practices. Implications for nursing in the hospital setting. JOGN nursing; Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing. 1983; 12(4): 252–258.PubMed
30.
Thi L, Pasandarntorn W, Rauyajin O. Traditional postpartum practices among Vietnamese mothers: A study in Anthi district, Hungyen province [Master’s dissertation]. Thailand, Mahidol University; 2004.
31.
Ngo D, Oliver JM. Attitudes toward seeking psychological help among Vietnamese American adults. St. Louis, MO: Psychology, Saint Louis University; 2005.
32.
Leong FTL, Chang DF, Lee SH. Counseling and Psychotherapy with Asian Americans: Process and Outcomes. In: Leong FTL, Iman A, Ebreo A, et al., eds. Handbook of Asian American psychology. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications; 2007:429–447.
33.
Chowdhary N, Sikander S, Atif N, et al. The content and delivery of psychological interventions for perinatal depression by non-specialist health workers in low and middle income countries: a systematic review. Best Practice & Research. Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2014; 28(1): 113–133.
34.
Patel V, Weiss HA, Chowdhary N, et al. Effectiveness of an intervention led by lay health counsellors for depressive and anxiety disorders in primary care in Goa, India (MANAS): a cluster randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2010; 376(9758): 2086–2095.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
35.
Mui AC, Kang SY. Acculturation stress and depression among Asian immigrant elders. Social Work. 2006; 51(3): 243–255.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Nguyen PV. Perceptions of Vietnamese fathers' acculturation levels, parenting styles, and mental health outcomes in Vietnamese American adolescent immigrants. Social Work. 2008; 53(4): 337–346.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Bina R. The impact of cultural factors upon postpartum depression: a literature review. Health Care for Women International. 2008; 29(6): 568–592.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Klainin P, Arthur DG. Postpartum depression in Asian cultures: a literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2009; 46(10): 1355–1373.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Postpartum Traditions, Mental Health, and Help-Seeking Considerations Among Vietnamese American Women: a Mixed-Methods Pilot Study
Publication date
01-07-2017
Published in
The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research / Issue 3/2017
Print ISSN: 1094-3412
Electronic ISSN: 2168-6793
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-015-9476-5

Other articles of this Issue 3/2017

The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 3/2017 Go to the issue

Report

A National Perspective on Exploring Correlates of Accreditation in Children’s Mental Health Care

OriginalPaper

Treating Opioid Dependence with Buprenorphine in the Safety Net: Critical Learning from Clinical Data

News

Saving Jobs that Save Lives

OriginalPaper

Behavioral Healthcare Staff Attitudes and Practices Regarding Consumer Tobacco Cessation Services

Report

English Language Abilities and Unmet Needs in Community Mental Health Services: a Cross-Sectional Study

Report

Needs Assessment for Behavioral Health Workforce: a State-Level Analysis