©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study. INTRODUCTION While there is some understanding of postpartum depression in the general female population, it is not yet known how postpartum depression is manifested among women of different racial and cultural backgrounds. . ©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study.

©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study. STUDY’S PURPOSE The purpose of this qualitative research was to investigate the cultural understanding and interpretation of postpartum depression among immigrant Caribbean women and their healthcare providers. ©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK & RESEARCH QUESTIONS The ecological systems theory of human development was used as a framework to explore awareness of and cultural factors that influence how this population experiences and responds to postpartum depression. The key research questions were used to gather data on how postpartum depression was understood among Caribbean immigrant women, their experiences with postpartum depression, and the availability of services in their Caribbean immigrant communities. ©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study.

©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study. DATA COLLECTION Two categories of data were collected: participants with postpartum depression experience (N=20) and service providers (N=5). Data was collected via interviews. ©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study.

©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study. RESULTS (WOMEN) According to the results, participants understood postpartum depression differently, based on their education and place of origin in the Caribbean. The women attributed postpartum depression to a variety of causes that included culture shock, lack of social and financial supports, unaddressed mental health issues, not emotionally ready for a baby, and witchcraft. ©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study.

RESULTS (SERVICE PROVIDERS) Service providers identified a lack of access to quality healthcare, language barriers, financial issues, and social stigma as contributing factors to postpartum depression in this population. ©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study.

©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study. RECOMMENDATION This study may lead to positive social change by helping public health workers learn new approaches to service delivery and support systems in similar populations with different cultural orientations. ©Gloria Davy’s Postpartum Depression Study.